MWDC: Metropolis
by Finmonster
Summary: The city of Metropolis has suffered greatly as of late, with both high crime rates and a terrible disaster. But it has also managed to gain  protectors in the form of Superman, Wonder Woman and the Mighty Thor! Book 3 of Part 2.
1. Mild Mannered

Disclaimer: I own nothing

**Marvelous World of DC: Part 2: Book 3**

**Metropolis**

**Chapter 1: Mild Mannered**

_A hero cannot be a hero unless in a heroic world._

Nathaniel Hawthorne

_September 25__th__, 2012_

"MAYDAY, MAYDAY!" a voice screamed over a radio. Flying above the Atlantic, a commercial airplane was rapidly descending through the air, to the water below. Fire flickered on its wings as a line of smoke spewed from its engines.

"MAYDAY, MAYDAY!" the captain called frantically from the cockpit, "This is Delta Airlines Flight 562! We are experiencing engine failure! We are going down! I repeat, we are going down!"

Next to him, the co-pilot tried desperately to pull the plane out of its dive but couldn't manage it. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something shoot past the cockpit.

"What was that!" he shouted as tried to see it.

"What was what!" the pilot shouted back, looking at him with a frightened expression.

Suddenly, the plane lurched slightly. As it did, it began to slow in its descent.

"We're leveling off!" the co-pilot cried with joy.

"Metropolis Airport, this is Delta Airlines Flight 562! We…We're leveling off! We're coming in for an emergency lading!" The pilot called over the radio.

The plane continued over the sea coming towards the city of Metropolis with smoke still poured from the planes engines. It slowly set down at the airport as emergency vehicles rushed towards the scene. As the firefighters and EMTs rushed towards the airplane, they saw a man walking away through the smoke.

He was a tall, powerfully built man with black hair and a pair of blue eyes. He wore a light blue jumpsuit. Over that he wore a pair of red short shorts, a yellow belt, red, and red, shin-high boots. On his chest was a red diamond with a yellow S in its center and a red cape that hung down to the back of his knees.

"All yours, gentlemen," he said with a nod before he shot off of the ground and into the sky.

"Was that…" one of the firemen began as he watched the man fly away.

"Superman," the other replied with awe.

_Meanwhile_

Clark soared above the concrete jungle of Metropolis, skimming over the skyscraper. Looking down, he watched the people going about their morning below him. Smirking, he flew down to one of the large buildings and landing on a patio. Quickly scanning the area, he saw that no one was watching him and he entered the apartment.

He stepped off the patio into a large living room. Large windows looked over the city on two sides of the room. In the center of the room sat a large couch, flanked by two easy chairs. A coffee table sat in the middle. Directly across from the couch was a flat screen TV on the wall, over a small mantle place.

"Clark?" a voice asked from the doorway to Clark's left, "Are you back?"

Looking to the side, Clark saw Diana standing in the doorway. She wore a grey jacket over a white blouse and a grey skirt with black, high-heel shoes. She had the illusion that hid her athletic physique activated but wasn't wearing her glasses nor had her hair in a bun.

"Good morning, Diana," he greeted cheerfully.

"Are you prepared for our first day?" she asked, taking a sip from the coffee she was holding.

"Yep, just had to take care of something quick. Plane was going down over the Atlantic," Clark explained.

"You're making quite the name for yourself," Diana commented, picking a news paper off the kitchen table and handing it to Clark.

Clark looked at the newspaper she handed him, which he noticed was a copy of the Daily Planet. "Mysterious Superman Saves Sinking Ship!" the headline read. It was accompanied by a blurry photo of Clark holding a sinking boat afloat as its passengers were evacuated.

"They're calling me Superman?" he asked.

"It appears so," Diana replied, "I suppose they saw the S on your chest and decided it must stand for something. You're not the only one they've named."

She took the paper, and turned it to another page before handing it back. It showed her in her armor, stopping a school bus from going over a cliff. The title over the picture read "Wonder Woman Saves School Children!"

"Wonder Woman?" Clark asked with a chuckle, "Catchy."

"Thanks," she replied, before turning the page again, "Thor seems to have made the paper as well."

Clark looked at the blurry photo. He could make out the outline of a person standing at the edge of a building. He could also make out the feint outline of a hammer in his hands. A lightning bolt shot through the sky behind the figure. "Does the God of Thunder Walk Amongst Us?" the title asked.

"Seems like they're not to sure about Thor," Clark commented.

At that moment, the sound of a door opening came from the hall leading to the small kitchen. Emerging from one of the doors came Thor dressed in a black t-shirt and boxer shorts.

"Speak of the devil," Clark commented.

"Good morrow, friends!" Thor greeted with a large yawn as he walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Thor" Diana replied.

"How did your job search go?" Clark asked.

"Abysmally," Thor sighed as he slumped into one of the chairs, "It seems I am not cut out for any occupation in Midgard."

"I'm sure you'll fine something," Clark comforted him, "For now, me and Diana should prepare for our first day at work."

Clark walked down the hall to his bedroom. It was relatively simple, with a single bed, a dresser and a nightstand. A lamp sat on his nightstand, along with a photo showing him with his mother and father. One door led to a small bathroom while the other led to a closet.

Clark quickly stripped his uniform before darting into his bathroom for a shower. After, he darted out and quickly got dressed, putting his suit on over his uniform. He slicked back his black hair and put on his fake glasses.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out what looked like a small coin covered in arcane runes. Giving it a squeeze, Clark activated the key to the spell Dr. Strange gave them. Instantly, his image shifted, making him appear scrawnier and shorter. Smiling, he flipped the coin into the air, grabbed it and tucked it back into his pocket before exiting his room.

Walking out into the main room, he saw Diana waiting for him, dressed with her illusion activated. Thor was sitting on the couch and had turned on the TV, which he had begun channel surfing.

"Are you prepared to depart, Clark?" Diana asked.

"Yeah, let's head out. We don't want to be late on our first day," Clark answered while heading towards the door.

"Have a wonderful day, my friends!" Thor called to them as they left.

"You too, Thor," Clark answered as he and Diana left.

Turning back to the television, Thor continued to flip through the channels.

"_Are ya ready kids!_" the TV called in an over the top pirate imitation.

"Wonderful!" Thor rejoiced, "My favorite television tale!"

"_I can't hear you!_" the TV shouted.

"AYE, AYE CAPTIN!" Thor shouted in reply.

_Meanwhile,_

After taking the subway to the business district of the city, Diana and Clark stood outside a large skyscraper. At the very top sat a large globe, around which the words "Daily Planet" circled.

"Impressive," Diana commented.

"Yep. You ready?" Clark asked.

Diana nodded, her face set in a look of determination. They both walked forward, passing through the doors leading into the building. Past them was a large foyer, with a reception desk directly across from the door. Two hallways flanked the desk, leading to elevators. Clark and Diana quickly approached the desk, which was manned by a security guard.

"Hi, I'm Clark Kent and this is Diana Prince," Clark introduced them, "This is our first day and we were told to check in here."

The guard quickly flipped through his files before coming on theirs.

"Yep, here you are," he stated, "You and Ms. Prince should head up to the twelfth floor, and talk with Mr. Robinson."

"Alright, thank you," Clark said before he and Diana walked away and headed over to the elevators. After waiting a moment, they entered an elevator and Clark pushed the button for the twelfth floor.

"Hey!" a voice called from the hallway, "Hold that elevator!"

Reacting quickly, Clark put his hand between the elevator doors, a split second before they closed. Sensing the obstruction, the doors slowly reopened, revealing a woman standing on the other side of the doors. She had long, black hair that reached to her upper back, and hazel brown eyes. She wore a navy blue jacket over a white blouse and a matching blue skirt along with black high heeled shoes.

"Quick hands you got there, slick," she said with a smirk, "Thanks."

"Um, no problem," Clark replied, smiling and scratching the back of his head, a blush appearing on his face.

"Where you two headed?" the woman asked, turning to face the buttons.

"Twelfth floor," Diana responded, looking at Clark and raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Hey, that's where I'm headed. You two new here?" she asked, pushing the button.

"Um…" Clark started.

"Yes," Diana answered, confused by Clark's odd behavior.

"Well, I guess I'll be working with you. Name's Lois Lane, good to meet you," she introduced herself, holding out her hand to shake.

"Diana Prince," Diana introduced herself, shaking Lois' hand.

"And you are?" Lois asked, holding out her hand to Clark.

"I-I'm Clark Kent," he replied quickly, and awkwardly shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you," she said with a bemused smile.

There was a soft ding and the elevator doors opened. The floor they were on was bustling with activity. Desks were laid out in order rows throughout the majority of the floor, with people sitting in them or moving about them. The ceiling was high and had tall windows along each of the walls. A few offices were walled off from the main area, reserved for important members of the paper.

"You should probably check in with Robbie Robinson, he'll know where to send you," Lois said, pointing out a middle aged, African American man standing watching one of the suspended televisions.

"I'll see you to later," she said, waving to them.

Clark and Diana waved back before Diana turned to him with an eyebrow raised.

"What?" Clark asked.

"You," Diana stated, pointing an accusing finger, "are attracted to her."

"What!" Clark almost yelped, flinching backwards, "I only just met her."

"Eros' arrows can pierce at any time," she stated simply, before turning and walking towards Robbie.

Clark stared at his feet and scratched the back of his head, before sighing and following suit.

"Mr. Robinson?" Clark asked as they reached the man.

"Can I help you?" he asked, turning to address them.

"I'm Clark Kent," Clark introduced himself.

"Ah! Clark Kent, our new reporter!" Robbie replied, shaking Clark's hand before turning to Diana, "You must be Diana Prince, our new secretary."

Diana nodded in reply.

"Good, I'll show you to around," he said as he started to lead them away, "And please, call me Robbie"

Walking around, Robbie showed Clark and Diana the various places and important things around the office. Eventually, he brought them to the largest office. The words "Perry White: Editor-in-Chief" were written on the door. Out front sat a young woman sat at her desk. She had short, light brown hair and brown eyes. She wore a light blue sweater vest over a white shirt and a brown skirt along with black, high heeled shoes.

"Good morning, Betty," Robbie greeted her.

"Good morning, Mr. Robinson," she replied cheerfully.

"Is Perry in?" Robbie asked.

"Mr. White just went in, I'll page him," Betty answered before pushing a button on her intercom, "Mr. White, Mr. Robinson is here to see you."

"Send him in," Perry said from over the intercom.

"Go on in," Betty said with a smile.

"Before I do that, I wanted to ask you something Betty," Robbie stated.

"What's that?" she questioned.

"This is Diana Prince, our new secretary. Would you mind showing her around?" he asked.

"Sure!" she replied happily, hopping to her feet and walking around her desk.

"It's good to meet you, Diana," she greeted, holding out her hand.

"Likewise," Diana replied with a smile, shaking Betty's hand.

"Come on, I'll show you around," Betty said, practically dragging Diana with her. Diana looked back at Clark, smiling and waving as she left. Clark grinned and waved back.

"Come on, Clark, I'll introduce you to the boss," Robbie said as he opened the door.

Beyond the door was a large spacious office. Some framed papers were hung on the walls. A large, wooded desk took up most of the room. Behind it sat a cushioned, rolling chair, pointing at the large window that took up the back of the office.

The chair slowly turned around, revealing an elderly man in the chair. He had blue eyes and receding white hair. He wore a blue suit with a red tie and a white undershirt.

"Good morning, Robbie," he greeted, before catching sight of Clark, "I take it this is Mr. Kent, our new reporter?"

"Yes, it's good to meet you, Mr. White," Clark said, stepping forward and offering him his hand.

"Please, call me Perry," he replied, shaking Clark's hand, "Well, I take it Robbie here has been showing you around?"

"Yes, he has sir. It's a nice place you have here," Clark replied.

"Glad you like it Kent. Your resume had good things to say about you, I'm hoping you'll live up to the hype."

"I'll do my best," Clark replied.

"That's the spirit," Perry replied with a smile.

"Perry!" a loud voice shouted from outside the office.

"Well it looks like you'll get to meet our other editor," Perry commented.

A second later, a middle-aged man rushed into the room. He had salt and pepper hair with brown eyes and a small mustache. He wore a white, button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up. He also wore brown pants and brown shoes. Smoke trailed from the cigar he was chomping on.

"Perry, I got to talk to you about this Superman thing," he said as he ran up to Perry's desk, before he noticed the others in the room. He slowly turned to face Clark, sizing him up.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked.

"Um, Clark Kent, sir. The new reporter?" Clark responded nervously.

"Really?" he said before turning to Perry, "He doesn't look like much, Perry,"

"Give him a chance, Jonah," Perry replied before turning back to Clark, "Clark, meet J. Jonah Jameson, one of our editors."

"Good to meet you Mr. Jameson," Clark said, holding up his hand.

"Yeah, whatever," Jameson replied, waving his hand dismissively.

Perry frowned at Jonah before turning to Robbie.

"Robbie why don't you go show Clark where his desk is," Perry suggested.

Robbie nodded before ushering Clark out the door and closing it behind him.

"Mr. Jameson seems…interesting," Clark commented.

"JJ takes awhile to get used to," Robbie answered with a smirk.

Robbie led him through the maze of desks before coming to an empty one.

"Here you are Clark. Get yourself set up and we'll work on getting you your first assignment," Robbie explained.

"Thanks," Clark said, before Robbie left and Clark sat down at his desk.

"Well look who it is," a familiar voice said from behind him.

Turning around, he found Lois sitting at the desk behind him.

"Uh…hi," Clark replied nervously, "Lois right?"

"Yep," she answered with a smile, "You don't really strike me as a city person. Where are you from?"

"Smallville, Kansas," Clark replied.

"Smallville, eh?" she asked with a laugh, "Well, 'Smallville' seems to me that things are going to get more interesting around here."

_Meanwhile_

"And this is where you'll be working," Betty said as she showed Diana an empty desk in front of an office.

"Thank you, Betty," Diana replied as she sat down at the desk and began looking through it. Opening one of the drawers, she found a name plate. Taking it out, she looked it over.

"Betty, who is Gail Simone?" she asked without looking up. 

"She was the secretary before you. She had a…nervous breakdown," Betty replied, her voice sounding strangely far away.

"Nervous breakdown?" Diana questioned, looking up. Instead of Betty, she found J. Jonah Jameson looming over her. She didn't jump when she saw him, but her eyes did widen in surprise. Diana looked him over. Though she wasn't afraid of him, she did sense a disquieting feeling coming from him, like she already knew this wasn't a man she would like. Looking to her side, she saw Betty moving away, waving and mouthing "Sorry" before disappearing around a corner.

"You my new secretary?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"Yes," she replied, "You must be Mr. Jameson."

"That's what they call me," he answered, "You got a name?"

"Diana Prince."

"Well, Ms. Prince, since you're here, we might as well have you start earning your keep," he said before walking into his office. A second later he returned with a literal tower of paper.

"Since Ms. Simone lost her marbles, this has been piling up," he explained as he plopped it down on her desk, "I expect it to be done by this evening."

He then turned and walked into his office, slamming the door behind him. The vibrations caused her desk to shake, causing the paper tower to teeter over the edge and collapse onto the floor, sending the papers flying.

The door to the office opened and Jonah stuck his head out.

"Also, get me some coffee, Ms. Prince. Black. And clean this mess up! We're not paying you to sit around and clean your nails!" he shouted before slamming the door shut again.

Diana turned and sunk into the chair.

"Hera help me," she sighed.

_Meanwhile_

Thor was walking down the street in his Donald Blake disguise, dressed in jeans, a black t-shirt and a brown jacket while eating a chili dog. He was trying to think of what to do about his work situation. As he walked, a sound caught his attention. Across the street, he saw a group of men working on a damaged building.

A large fence ran around the building. On the fence was a sign reading "Workers Greatly Wanted! Walk-ins Welcome." Thor raised an eyebrow before shoving the rest of the chili dog in his mouth and walking across the street towards the construction sight.

A/N: Sorry for the delay guys. Computer problems and Thanksgiving slowed down progress. Chapters should be coming at a more regular rate from now on. Anyway, this chapter was pretty fun to write. I decided to make Perry the chief over Jonah, mostly because I like Perry better. Still, I realized that JJ still needed to be in a position of power, so I hope you guys liked what I did. Please Review! Later, True Believers!


	2. Along Came a Spider: Part 1

**Chapter 2: Along Came a Spider: Part 1**

_The price of greatness is responsibility._

-Winston Churchill

_ October 1__st__, 2012_

Superman flew above the water of the Atlantic, quickly approaching the city of Metropolis. He had taken a fly around the world, covering the Earth with Thor and Diana. He hadn't run into any trouble and was returning home for the night. As he approached, his hearing picked up the sound of police sirens and bandwidths.

"Yeah, looks like he fell," he heard a police man say, "I think someone was chasing him. We have some eyewitness reports claiming someone was up there with him. Maybe someone pushed him?"

Superman's eyes narrowed before he followed the sound to its origin. Hovering in the air, he floated over an abandoned warehouse, next to an old pier. The police were scattered around the area, centered on the pier. Looking down, he saw a body lying on the pier, surrounded by shards of broken glass. The man was lying on his back, with his legs bent at awkward angles beneath him and shards of glass strewn around him.

Suddenly, another sound caught his attention. Focusing on it, he realized it was someone crying. Following it, he found it was emanating from a tall building near by. Looking closer, Superman could see that there was a person sitting on the edge of one of the building's ledges. Focusing even more, Superman could see that it was a boy, only in his teens, with brown hair and eyes. He wore a dirty red sweater with what looked like a spider painted on it. He also wore blue jeans, sneakers and a pair of leather gloves. Superman could also see he was holding a red ski mask in his hand.

Superman was quickly able to discern that the boy must have been involved somehow. Slowly and silently, Superman flew over to where the boy sat, going around and behind him in order to avoid being seen.

"Are you alright, son?" he asked floating a few feet behind the boy.

The boy jumped in fright, leaping to his feet with a grace that surprised Superman. He quickly whirled around, looking at Superman with tear-filled eyes that were wide with fear.

"You're…You're Superman!" he exclaimed, pointing his finger at Superman.

"That's what they say," he replied with a bemused smile.

"Oh God…I-I didn't push him! He-He fell…he got scared and he tripped and then…"

"Whoa, relax" Superman said, floating to the ground and putting a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder, "Tell me what happened."

"It…It's a bit of a long story," the boy said, looking at Clark with tear filled eyes.

"I have no where else to be," Superman ensured him, "What's your name?"

"I'm Peter. Peter Parker," Peter answered.

"Alright Peter, tell me what happened. From the beginning."

_September 11__th__, 2012_

Peter was woken by the sound of someone ringing his doorbell and banging on the front door. He quickly put on his clothes and glasses before making his way downstairs just as Aunt May opened the door.

"Mrs. Parker!" Mary Jane exclaimed as the door opened, "Did you see?"

"Yes I did, dear," May replied sadly, "It's terrible, isn't it?"

"Aunt May, MJ?" Peter questioned, "What's going on?"

"You haven't heard!" MJ exclaimed before grabbing Peter's arm and dragging him into his living room, "It's all over the news!"

She quickly switched on the TV and turned on the news. Peter's eyes widened as he watched, the image of a large burning building flashing on screen.

"Oscorp," Peter whispered to himself.

Mary Jane nodded, tears running down her face.

"Victor, Richie, Virgil, Evan and Garfield are in the hospital, so are Gar's uncle and Harry's dad," MJ explained.

"Oh my god," Peter said, taking a step back and running a hand through his hair.

"That's not all," MJ whispered.

"What?" Peter asked.

"Mr. and Mrs. Logan…Gar's parents…they're dead, Peter," MJ said, before breaking into a fresh batch of tears.

"The Logans…are dead?" Peter questioned, before collapsing onto the couch.

"Oh my Lord," May moaned, leaning against Ben as the two stood to the side, "that poor boy."

"We…we have to see them," Peter decided.

"You can Peter," Ben said, "School's been canceled for the day."

"We have to go now!" Peter said, leaping to his feet and heading to the door "Come on, MJ!"

"Peter wait, I'll drive you!" Ben shouted after them.

"No, it's all right Uncle Ben, we'll take my bike!" Peter called back as he ran outside and got his bike from the side of the house. MJ quickly ran after him.

"You sure about this Pete?" she asked as she ran up behind him.

"I'm not sure about anything right now," Peter replied while sitting on the bike, "Stand on the spokes and put your hands on my shoulders."

MJ nodded in response before doing as Peter instructed. Peter quickly pedaled out of the driveway before taking off down the street.

"Why didn't you want your uncle to drive us?" MJ shouted over the sound of the wind blowing past them. A second later, they shot around a corner and where met with a line of bumper to bumper traffic leading all of the way into the center of the city.

"Any other questions?" Peter asked.

"No, I get it," she mumbled in reply.

They quickly sped through traffic, ducking and dodging between the stopped cars.

"What hospital are they at?" Peter asked.

"Metropolis General!" she replied. Peter nodded in reply and they sped along. Peter quickly took a turn and they found themselves blocked by a police barricade. Peter quickly put on the breaks, almost causing MJ to fall off.

Looking down the street, they could see the remains of Oscorp off in the distance. The building had practically caved in on itself and smoke was still rising from the structure. The street leading to it had also been damaged, with a majority of the buildings having had their windows shattered as well as suffering from structural damage.

"Wow," MJ said as she stepped off the spokes. Peter followed suit and stepped off the bike before putting down the kickstand. Together they walked towards the barricade, looking at the damage. They stopped in front of the barricade, with Peter leaning against it.

"Hey!" a voice called out, "You kids shouldn't be here."

Looking up, they saw a police officer walking up to them from the other side of the barricade.

"Sorry, we were just looking," Peter responded, holding up one of his hands in defense. Suddenly, he felt a stinging pain in his other hand. Hissing, he quickly pulled it to him as he looked for the source. Sitting on the concrete barricade was a small spider. Peter noted it was brightly colored, a mixture of red and blue. As Peter watched, the spider quickly scurried away, disappearing from view.

"Peter you okay?" MJ asked, looking at him with a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Yeah," Peter said, looking at his hand. There were two small puncture marks between his index and thumb, the skin around it turning purple, "I'm fine."

Peter quickly turned from the barricade and walked over to his bike.

"Let's go MJ," Peter said as he sat on his bike. MJ nodded in reply and quickly hurried over and hopped on the bike.

_Later_

Peter and MJ practically had to fight their way to the front desk, as there were a large number of nurses, doctors, patients and families moving about.

"Hey," Peter said, getting the attention of the nurse at the desk.

"Yes?" she asked, looking harried.

"Can you tell us where we could find Victor Stone or Garfield Logan?" MJ asked.

"Logan?" the nurse asked, giving them a weird look.

"Uh, yeah," Peter answered with confusion, itching his hand.

"Third floor," the nurse replied.

"Thanks," MJ said as she and Peter moved towards the stairs. Looking over her shoulder, MJ saw the nurse giving her a weird look as they left.

"What's her deal?" she asked. Peter merely shrugged in response.

A few minutes later they came to where there friend was supposed to be. Looking around, they quickly found some familiar faces.

"Mr. Stone, Mrs. Stone!" MJ called to the African-American couple.

"Mary Jane, Peter," Beth Stone greeted them.

"How…how is Vic doing?" Peter asked hesitantly.

Sad expression crossed both of their faces. Beth turned and buried her face into her husband's shoulder.

"Perhaps you two should see for yourselves," Frank Stone stated, gesturing towards the room.

Peter and MJ walked hesitantly to the door before looking in. MJ let out a gasp as she covered her mouth with her hands, while Peter stared in shock. Victor lay in the bed, bandages covering a large part of his body. His arms and legs were in casts and were supported above the bed. Multiple machines were attached to him, including one that appeared to be helping him breathe. A large bandage was wrapped around his head, as well as covering his right eye.

"Oh my God," MJ whispered.

"What…What happened to him?" Peter asked.

"The ceiling collapsed on him," Frank explained, "It…pulverized a large part of his skeleton. His skull has partially…caved in. He's lost his eye and most of his organs are damaged and the machines are the only thing keeping him alive."

"Is…Is there anything they can do for him?" MJ asked.

"…No" Frank answered solemnly, "They don't think they can do anything. It's taking everything they have just to keep him alive."

Tears began streaming down MJ's face as she sat down in a nearby chair, while Peter slumped against the wall, running his hands through his hair.

"Peter?" a voice asked from above Peter. The voice was familiar.

"Dr. McCoy?" he asked while looking up. He was shocked by what he found. Looming above him was a large creature dressed in a dark suit. He stood over six feet tall and was covered in blue hair. He had an ape-like build, with large hands and feet. He wore no shoes over his feet. His teeth were pointed and he had claws on both his hands and feet. His eyes were bright yellow and sat behind a small pair of glasses.

"AH!" Peter shouted, jumping to his feet, "Who are you!"

The creature looked at Peter and MJ, who was leaning away from him in surprise, with surprise, before a look of realization and sadness crossed his face.

"I'm sorry for startling you, Peter" he said with a sigh, "I'm still getting used to my new "look""

"Dr. McCoy?" Peter asked, confused, "Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me, Peter," Hank answered.

"What happened to you?" MJ asked.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I've always been a mutant," he explained.

"Really?" Peter asked, surprised.

"Yes, and during the accident, some chemicals were released and they affected my mutation, causing me to change further."

"So that's why you look like…this?" Peter said indicating towards Hank.

"Yes, and I'm not the only one," he replied.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"Garfield, Virgil, Evan and Ritchie have all been exposed to the chemical as well. It's activated the latent X-Gene they've all been carrying."

"So they're…mutants now?" MJ asked.

"Yes," Hank confirmed, "I hope this doesn't damage your friendship with them."

"What?" Peter asked incredulously, "I would never stop being friends with them over something like that."

"Me neither," MJ added.

"That's…good to hear," Hank said with a smile, "The world needs more people like you."

"Hey! Freak!" a voice shouted from outside. A moment later, a security guard walked up to them.

"I thought I told you to get lost," the security guard snarled.

"I explained to you, my nephew is here and I am his next of kin," Hank said irately.

"Then I'll get him out of here too, we don't need you muties infecting the other patients."

"Infecting? It's not a disease!" Frank spoke up.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to back up while I escort this freak off the premises," the guard said, putting his hand up to keep Frank at bay before trying to pull Hank along with him.

"Unhand me!" Hank shouted pulling his arm away.

"Don't make this difficult, freak!" the guard spat.

"Leave him alone!" Peter roared, as he ran up and shoved the guard away. The guard was seemingly lifted off his feet, and flew a few feet through the air before hitting the wall.

"Peter!" MJ cried out in surprise. Peter looked down at his hands in surprise while Hank looked at Peter with confusion.

"Peter, what happened to your hand?" he asked. Peter looked at his hand and saw the spider bite had swollen up, now colored an ugly purple.

"It…it's nothing," he answered, suddenly feeling woozy.

"What's going on here!" a doctor demanded as he marched up.

"This man tried to force our friend from the hospital!" Beth shouted pointing accusingly at the security guard.

"Is this true Mark?" The doctor asked.

"That mutie doesn't belong here!" the guard, Mark, shouted, "And this punk assaulted me."

"Now Mark, you know I sympathize with you, but we can't just throw them out," the doctor explained before turning and giving Hank a venomous look, "Not yet at least."

"As for you," the doctor said, turning to Peter, "Is it true you assaulted this man?"

"I..." Peter began, sweating profusely and feeling unsteady on his feet, "I…I have to go!"

With that, Peter turned and ran, brushing past some people and almost knocking over a nurse as he rushed for the stairs.

"Peter, wait!" he heard MJ shout, but he just couldn't bring himself to stop. He ran out of the hospital, grabbed his bike and took off down the street. Peter didn't know what he was doing; his head was spinning and fuzzy at the same time. He just knew he didn't want to be in that hospital anymore, he wanted to be anywhere but there.

Time seemed like a blur to Peter and before he knew it, he found himself back home. As he pedaled towards his house, his head suddenly began to spin again. He lost his sense of balance and went tumbling off his bike onto his front lawn. He groaned and lay on his back, before he slowly rolled over and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. When he did, his head stopped spinning but his stomach started to. He vomited all over the lawn, barely able to hold himself up.

Taking deep, calming breaths, he wiped his mouth before pushing himself up onto his shaking feet. He stumbled towards and into the house.

"Peter, is that you?" he heard Aunt May call.

"Y-Yeah," Peter replied, as he began to stumble up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Uncle Ben asked, walking up to the end of the stairs, "How are your friends?"

"I'm sorry Uncle Ben, I can't really talk about it. I…I don't feel so good. I'm go-going to bed," Peter explained.

"Alright," Uncle Ben answered, watching Peter climbing the stairs. Aunt May came over to join him. They both exchanged worried looks as Peter disappeared upstairs.

Peter barely made it to his room feeling his legs giving out from under him. He quickly striped his shirt and took off his glasses, dropping them on the floor before collapsing onto the bed. He quickly fell into a fitful sleep, his dream haunted by scuttling spiders.

A/N: Well, this one took a little while. Blame finals and my ongoing computer troubles. But I'm finally getting to something you've all been waiting for, my version of Spider-Man's origin! Hope you guys like it, including my decision to use a flashback framing device. I feel I should also explain the date. It wasn't until writing this that I realized the day after the Big Bang would be September 11th. This was entirely unintentional on my part. It's been over a year since I first wrote that chapter in my first fic, but I'm sure I must have chosen the date arbitrarily, not realizing how it would add up. I hope I didn't accidentally offend anyone. Thanks, and please review! Later True Believers!


	3. Along Came a Spider: Part 2

**Chapter 3: Along Came a Spider: Part 2**

_A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom._

-Bob Dylan

_September 12th, 2012_

Peter woke to the sound of someone knocking on his door.

"Peter?" he heard Uncle Ben say, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Peter said as he rubbed his eyes, "I think I'm feeling better now."

"That's good, I figured you wouldn't want to be late for school," Ben said with a hint of mischief in his voice. Peter immediately rolled over and looked at the clock. A cold chill of fear ran up his spine as he realized that he only had a half an hour to get to school on time. Quickly, he began fumbling around for his glasses, finding them and putting them on.

When he did though, his vision became blurry. Taking off his glasses, he realized his vision was better without the glasses then with them. He looked at them in confusion before putting them on his bedside table. Turning away, he glanced at his mirror, and was surprised by what he saw.

Turning to look at the mirror full on, he examined his shirtless body. His once skinny physique was gone. Replacing it was a build fit for an Olympic level athlete. He flexed his muscles, examining himself with a shocked look on his face.

"Peter, dear," Aunt May asked from the other side of the door, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, Aunt May," Peter responded, a smile creeping across his face, "Better than alright."

"That's good dear, now hurry down stairs. Mary Jane is waiting for you" Aunt May told him.

Peter quickly grabbed a shirt and threw it on, before rushing downstairs. Mary Jane was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey," he greeted her.

"Hey," she replied, a cross look on her face, "Thanks for leaving me at the hospital yesterday."

"Oh jeez, I'm sorry MJ!" Peter apologized, "I…I wasn't feeling myself."

"I guessed," she said with a sigh, her face softening, "That was a lot to take in yesterday."

"Yeah," Peter mused, scratching the back of his head.

"If you were wondering, the hospital decided not to do anything about you shoving that security guard. It probably helped you got out of there right after. I wouldn't recommend going there for a while though," MJ explained.

"Thanks MJ," Peter thanked her.

"Don't worry about it," she answered, "Now come on we need to get going. Where are your glasses?"

"Uh," Peter began, unsure of the explanation himself, "I got contacts."

"Huh," MJ said with curiosity, "They look good."

"Thanks," Peter said with a bit of a blush.

"Okay, come on lets go," MJ said, before turning and heading towards the door.

_Later_

Peter walked down the hallways of the school, heading towards the cafeteria. The halls were oddly empty, Peter figured it had to do with the disaster. Even though the school had been reopened, it was only because it wasn't as close to the disaster zone as other places. But there were still students who had been injured and some families were keeping their kids at home.

"Hey, Puny Parker!" a familiar voice shouted. Peter sighed, wishing that some people had been kept at home.

"Did you think that I wouldn't recognize you without those giant glasses framing your ugly face?" Flash Thompson mocked as he walked towards him, his posse of football players behind him.

"Maybe a little bit," Peter admitted as he reluctantly turned to face Flash.

"Ha!" Flash laughed, as he looked at his posse "Puny Parker, always the joker. Guys beats himself up more than I do!"

The other footballers laughed as Flash looped his arm around Peter's shoulder in a fake show of friendship.

"So I hear a bunch of your loser buddies got put into the hospital," he said, leaning closer to Peter, "I heard they got turned into mutant freaks."

Peter pushed Flash's arm off him and shoved him away.

"Ho, ho!" Flash laughed as he regained his balance, "Parker's got a little fire in him today. What's the matter Parker? Don't like me calling your friends the freaks they are?"

Peter growled and started to move forward.

"Hey!" a voice shouted stopping him. As he did, both Harry and Eddie ran up to him. Out of the corner of his eye, Peter saw Jimmy, Gwen and Mary Jane approaching as well.

"Back off, Flash," Harry warned, pointing at Flash.

"Or what Osborn? I'm not afraid of you. How does it feel to know that your dad blew up half the city?"

"How can you be so uncaring about all this?" Gwen spoke up, "Victor Stone was seriously injured in the disaster. Isn't he one of your teammates?"

"Stone? He was a show off and a waste of talent. I can't believe he wasted time with your little freak squad. Now? Well now he's just a waste of space."

The girls let out gasps of shock as the guys stared at Flash with a looks of surprise and anger. Even some of Flash's teammates were staring at Flash. Peter, however, reacted differently.

With a shout of anger, he jumped forward and grabbed Flash by his jacket before pushing him against one of the lockers. Flash was caught off guard by this, before grabbing Peter's arms and pushing him away. Peter stumbled back, quickly regaining his balance.

"You want to do this Parker?" he asked, clearly angered.

"Yeah," Peter replied, staring daggers at Flash.

Flash grinned at Peter like a shark at a minnow.

"Alright Parker. Outside. Now," he said before heading towards one of the doors, his posse following him. Peter frowned and followed, but was stopped when Harry grabbed his shoulder.

"Peter! What are you doing!" he demanded.

"Nobody ever stands up to Flash and his cronies. He gets away with everything! But not this time, I'm not going to let him get away with what he said," Peter explained, "I'm drawing a line in the sand, Harry"

"Peter, he's twice your size! He's going to tear you apart!" Harry shouted.

"Maybe," Peter admitted.

"What's gotten into you?" Harry questioned.

"I don't know, Harry," Peter replied, "I really don't"

With that, he walked away and through a door to the courtyard outside. Flash was standing outside, waiting for him. He had shed his letterman jacket, revealing his black t-shirt underneath. He was bouncing up and down in anticipation.

"Ha ha!" he laughed upon seeing Parker, "I'm becoming more and more impressed with you Parker! I thought you wouldn't follow through, but here you are, proving me wrong! You got guts Parker, I'll give you that!"

Peter didn't say anything as he walked towards Flash, the other football players forming a circle around him. Peter noticed his friends gather around too, watching with fearful expressions.

"All right, you ready to do this Parker?" Flash asked, bringing up his fists to his face like a boxer.

Peter didn't reply, merely glaring at Flash with his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"I'll take that as a yes," Flash said with a wicked smile. He quickly stepped forward and threw a punch at Peter. Peter felt an odd tingling in the back of his head and then everything seemed to slow down. Flash seemed to be moving like he was underwater. Peter glanced to the side and saw that everyone else was moving slowly as well. Looking to his other side, he saw a fly buzzing by. It was moving so slowly, he could actually see its wings moving. A confused look crossed Peter's face as he looked back at Flash's incoming fist. Peter stepped simply to the side, allowing Flash to pass him by.

"What the..?" Flash asked as he stumbled to a stop.

"Whoa, did you see how fast he just moved?" Jimmy observed.

Flash whirled around and quickly threw another punch at Peter, who ducked under it. Flash continued to throw punches at Peter, advancing as Peter retreated, but Peter effortlessly avoided them all. Throwing a large haymaker at Peter, Flash missed as Peter bent backwards at the knees before bouncing effortlessly back up, a move that had the gathered students gawking with amazement.

"Parker's got moves," Kong observed with wonder.

"Stand still!" Flash shouted, growing increasingly frustrated as he missed yet another punch. Roaring, he threw a left hook that Peter easily ducked. As Peter crouched, he drew his hand into a fist and drove it into Flash's stomach. Flash made a loud wheezing sound as the blow knocked the wind out of him. He doubled over and stumbled backwards, holding his stomach in pain. Peter slowly rose back to his feet as Flash let out a few strangled coughs.

"Holy crap," Eddie whispered as everyone stared in stunned silence.

"That's it!" Flash roared, "Now, I'm mad!"

With a shout of anger he ran at Peter and threw a right punch at his face. Peter saw it coming and this time, simply lifted up his hand and caught it, not even flinching as Flash's fist met his palm. Flash however, let out a growl of pain. Flash and Peter's eyes met, Flash's now containing a mixture of anger and surprise while Peter stared coldly at him. Peter tightened his hand around Flash's. Flash let out a scream of pain as a loud crack sounded across the courtyard and he fell to his knees.

"My hand!" he shouted as he tried to pull away, but his hand remained in Peter's grasp.

"You know what you are, Flash?" Peter growled as he got close to Flash's face, "A waste of space."

Peter lashed out at Flash with his fist, striking the other boy hard across the chin and sending him to the ground in a heap. Flash moaned in pain as he lay on the ground while Peter stood over him. Slowly, he looked around, seeing the stunned faces looking back at him, including his friends.

"What's going on out here!" a voice demanded as the doors to the courtyard flew open and a teacher stepped into view. The gathered students quickly scattered. Peter saw his friends moving towards him, but also saw the teacher eyeing him. So he did the first thing he could think to do. He turned and ran, pushing his way through the crowd of students before racing off the school grounds before anyone could stop him.

Peter ran for a few blocks before darting into an alleyway. He leaned against a wall with his hands on his knees. Slowly, he slid down the wall, sitting on the ground with a sigh. He ran his hand through his hair as he tried to think of what to do. As he did, he felt something strange on his hand.

Holding his hand in front of his face, he looked at his palm. Looking closely, he saw that his hands were covered in short, spikey hairs. Hairs he recognized from text books. Slowly, he stood as a thought came to him. Looking up, he stared at the steep brick wall he had been leaning against. He put his hand against the wall, and felt a sort of clinging sensation. Reaching up higher, he placed his other hand on the wall and felt the same sensation. Then with a calming breath he pulled himself up, and was delighted to feel his feet lift off the ground. He placed his feet against the wall, but found they didn't grip and that they slipped when he tried to push off of them.

Thinking, he tested his grip and found he could support himself with his hands. Rising up, he managed to do a horizontal handstand. He then bent his waist so his feet were near his face. He then reached up with one hand to his feet, and quickly removed his shoes, dropping them to the ground.

Peter let out an amazed laugh as he looked at the position he had put himself in with such ease. He quickly swung back around so he was in a crawling position against the wall. As he did, he felt his feet cling to the wall through his socks. His smile grew as he began to climb up the wall. Looking down, he saw that he was now a few stories off the ground. Letting out a whoop of joy, he quickly climbed up the rest of the wall and onto the roof.

Looking around, he saw that the next roof was close. Confidence running through him, he ran towards the gap and leaped. He flew through the air, easily clearing the gap and landing nearly halfway across the next roof. Letting out another cry of joy, he rushed forward and leapt from rooftop to rooftop.

He took a quick turn around a corner, grabbing the wall with his hand as he did. Letting go, he aimed to land on the next roof top and keep running. Instead, he was yanked back by his hand as if he had been caught on something. Picking himself up, he looked back to see what had happened. He found that there was now a strand of webbing between his hand and the wall. Grabbing the webbing, he pulled it away, before looking at his hand. He could make out a small white orb-like organs just under the skin of his wrists.

Slowly, he turned to face the other edge of the roof. Looking out, he saw a short building across the street. Looking past it, he saw a large crane hanging over the building. Thinking, he looked at his hand, before looking back at the crane. He smiled as a thought came to him. Looking at the crane, he quickly flicked his hand at it. Nothing happened. Pulling it back, he looked at his hand with a confused expression before trying again, once again with no result.

The next few minutes were spent trying to figure out how to make the webbing work, trying a number of different hand gestures and even a few words. Nothing worked. Growling in frustration he blindly threw his hand out again. He was caught off guard when another strand of webbing shot out. Quickly looking at his hand, he saw that he had his middle and ring fingers pulled back so they were touching near the back of his palm.

Turning back to the crane, he pointed his hand at it before applying pressure to his palm with his two fingers. He smiled as he was rewarded with another line of webbing shooting out of his wrist, hitting dead center on the crane. Keeping his arm steady, he shot out another line, and when it looked long enough he quickly grabbed it as he ended it. Looking down, he now had a webline that he could swing from the roof top he was on to the one below him. Taking a deep breath, he readied himself to swing across.

"Tally-ho," he said to himself before leaping off. He gripped the webline tightly, his knuckles going white from the pressure. As he swung, he saw that the line was strong enough to hold him as he easily sailed across the street. He laughed with joy to see it had worked. His smile quickly vanished when he saw that he was quickly approaching the wall at the other end of the roof. He panicked as he tried to think of what to do, but before he could do anything, he slammed into the wall, bouncing off of it and falling onto the roof.

"Ow," Peter moaned as he slowly tried to pick himself up.

_Later_

A few hours later, Peter walked through the door to his house, carrying his shoes in his hands. He began to head up stairs to his room when he heard his uncle's voice.

"Peter? Is that you?" he asked.

"Yeah, Uncle Ben, it's me," Peter answered.

"Can you come into the kitchen for a moment? Your aunt and I would like to have a word with you," Ben said.

Groaning to himself as a feeling of dread swept over him, Peter quickly tossed his shoes aside before walking into the kitchen. His uncle and aunt were sitting at the table, looking like they had been sitting there for a while, waiting for him.

"Hi," Peter greeted nervously.

"Hi," Uncle Ben replied, "Where have you been?"

"…Out," Peter replied hesitantly.

"Out," Ben repeated, obviously not buying it "Do you know why we wanted to talk to you?"

"Yeah, I think so," Peter answered.

"We got a call from your school today, Peter," May stated, "They said you got into a fight, and that you cut school."

"I got scared," Peter admitted, "I knew I was going to get in trouble so I just ran."

"You did get in trouble," Ben stated, "You've been suspended from school for a week."

Peter sighed as he took a seat.

"A week?" Peter asked. Ben nodded solemnly in reply.

"Why did you do it?" Ben asked, "You're a smart boy, Peter. I thought you knew better than this."

"He talked crap about, Vic. He wasn't upset about what happened to him or any of my friends! He said he was a waste of space!" he responded angrily, "I'm tired of taking crap from him. He crossed a line and I finally decided to stand up to him."

"Standing up to him is one thing, Peter. Getting into a fight is another! I know you're upset about what's happened to your friends, but this isn't the way to handle it," Ben answered.

"Someone had to stand up to him," Peter repeated, "And I finally felt like I could. I know what I did was wrong and I accept the consequences for my actions, but I'm not going to feel sorry about what I did."

"Alright, Peter," Ben said with a sigh, "Go to your room. You're grounded. We'll figure out what that means tomorrow."

Peter nodded his head solemnly, before getting up out of his chair and heading upstairs. Ben sighed again as he watched him go.

"This whole disaster must be getting to him," May surmised as she put a hand on Ben's shoulder.

"It's not just that, May," Ben mused.

"What do you mean?" May asked.

"You know that Flash boy. You've seen how big he is," Ben explained, "Peter shouldn't have stood a chance. But from the report the school gave us, they said that people saw Peter dance around him like he was standing still. They say he broke his hand and knocked some of his teeth loose. Does that sound like something Peter is capable of?"

"Well, no," May relented.

"I'm worried about him, May. And not just because he's getting in fights," Ben stated, "There's something going on with Peter. I just don't know what it is."

A/N: Well this one took a while to get out. Finals, work and the holidays really limited my writing time. I should be back on track now though. Hope you guys liked this chapter! Please review! Later True Believers!


	4. Along Came a Spider: Part 3

**Chapter 4: Along Came a Spider: Part 3**

_You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today._

-Abraham Lincoln

_September 21__st__ 2012_

Peter sat alone in his room. He sat idly in the chair at his desk. He stared intently at an empty soda can he had set up on his bedside table. Suddenly, he snapped out with his hand, sending a webline flying across the room, hitting the can square in its middle. Yanking the line back, the can was pulled through the air back to where Peter sat, snagging it out of the air. Peter smiled as he looked at the can, before setting it on the desk.

"Peter, are you ready?" May called from downstairs.

"Just a minute, Aunt May!" he called.

Peter stood up and looked around the room. He cringed a bit when he saw that it was covered in web strands. Luckily, he had discovered that the webs would dissolve in an hour, so he didn't have to worry about cleaning it all up.

Glancing at his mirror, he let out a sad sigh. He was wearing a white shirt with a black tie and a black pair of pants. On his chair was a black jacket. He quickly picked it up and put it on, buttoning it as he left his room.

When he got downstairs, he found his aunt and uncle waiting for him. Ben was also dress in a black suit and tie while May wore a black dress and jacket.

"You ready to go Peter?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Peter replied with a sad sigh.

"Come on," Ben stated as they headed out to their car.

_Later_

Peter stood with his aunt and uncle as he watched the two coffins being lowered into their graves, side by side. Looking up, he saw his other friends gathered around too. Next to the graves stood Garfield. Peter still found himself surprised by how his friend looked now. He had short green fur growing across his skin, while his hair and eyes had become green as well. His teeth were now sharp and his ears where pointed.

Gar look down sadly as his parents were laid to rest, tears streaming from his green eyes. Behind him was his uncle, who was resting a comforting hand on Gar's shoulder. Peter could tell that Hank was being strong for his nephew, but he could still see the sadness in the older man's eyes.

Next to them stood Dr. Connors with his wife. His suit sleeve was pinned up from where his arm had been severed in the accident. Looking around, Peter could see all his various friends were there as well. The Stones stood together, Beth leaning against Frank as they watched the proceedings. Ritchie, Virgil and Evan where there as well, standing with Sharon and Mr. Hawkins. Harry, Eddie, Jimmy, MJ and Gwen stood together as well.

Looking back at the graves, Peter saw that the coffins had been lowered fully into the holes. The priest said his final words and the ceremony was done, causing the crowd of mourners to slowly start moving away from the grave. Peter broke away from his aunt and uncle and went over towards Gar and Hank.

"Hey Gar," he said solemnly.

"Hey Pete," Gar greeted sadly, "Glad you could make it."

"No problem, man," Peter replied, putting a hand on Gar's shoulder.

"How's the suspension treating you?" Gar asked with a hint of a smile.

"Pretty good," Peter replied with a small smile of his own.

"Flash didn't take the outcome of your fight all that well," Gar stated, a sad expression crossing his face again.

"What's he been doing?" Peter asked, concerned.

"Mostly just getting in our faces, making fun of us and stuff like that. He has a hard time beating people up with a broken hand. How did you do that, Pete?" Gar asked.

"I got lucky, I guess. You'd be surprised what adrenaline can do," Peter lied, amazed at how easy the fabrication came to him.

"If you say so," Gar said with a shrug, "It's not like I'll have to be worrying about him anymore soon."

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"Garfield is transferring schools," Hank explained as he spoke up.

"Transferring? Where?" Peter questioned.

"To the Xavier Institute," Hank answered.

"The Xavier Institute?" Peter questioned again, "What's that?"

"It's a school specifically set up for mutants, to keep them safe from prejudice and help them learn to control their powers."

"I see," Peter stated.

"He's not the only one who's going," Virgil spoke up as he and his family walked over.

"I kind of figured," Peter responded with a smile.

"It's going to be weird not being around here anymore," Virgil mused.

"Yeah," Richie added sadly.

"Richie, are you okay?" Eddie asked as he and the others walked up.

"Richie's father threw him out after he told his parents he was a mutant," Sharon explained, putting a sympathetic hand on Ritchie's shoulder.

"He threw you out!" Gwen exclaimed, "Oh, Richie, I'm so sorry."

"Thanks," he replied, "Who needs them anyway, right?"

Everyone could tell Richie was just putting on a brave face as he wiped his eyes. Sharon squeezed Richie's shoulder in an effort to further comfort him.

"It's not going to be the same here without you guys," Harry said, partly trying to change this subject.

"Yeah, we'll miss you," Jimmy added.

"We won't be too far away, the Institute is just upstate," Evan explained.

"Yeah, we can still talk to you guys, e-mails and stuff," Virgil added.

"Yeah, but it still won't be the same without you guys," MJ answered.

"I'm sure you'll all figure something out," Ben spoke up, placing a hand on Peter's shoulder, "Now come on, if we don't go, we'll be late for the wake."

Everyone agreed, and with that they turned and left the graveyard for their cars.

_Later_

Night had fallen over the city when the Parker's returned home with Mary Jane in tow. They pulled into their driveway and got out of the car, with Ben and May heading inside while Peter said good night to MJ.

"Thanks for the ride," MJ thanked him.

"No problem," Peter said dismissively.

"I still can't believe we just buried Gar's parents," she said with a sniff, "I mean, everything's been happening so fast. The disaster, the Logan's deaths, our friends becoming mutants and moving away. And is it true what I heard about Johnny?"

"About all the stuff that happened out at the S.T.A.R. lab?" Peter asked.

MJ nodded.

"Yeah," Peter replied, sadly.

"Have you heard from him?" MJ asked hopefully.

"Not yet," Peter replied solemnly.

"I'm sure he'll be alright," MJ comforted him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Think a little lab explosion couldn't take out Johnny Storm?" Peter questioned with a small smile.

"Nah, his ego's too big for that," MJ joked, earning a chuckle from Peter.

MJ let out a giggle as well before it died as her expression turned serious.

"Peter, I've been wondering about something," MJ stated.

"What's that?" Peter asked.

"Peter, I was there when you fought, Flash. With everything that's happened, people seemed to have almost forgotten about it. But I was there and I saw what you did to Flash. I've known you almost my whole life, Peter. I've never seen you do anything like that. How did you do all that?"

Peter scratched the back of his head as he looked at his feet, trying to think of something to say.

"Peter, you can tell me. I had hoped that after years of being friends you would know you could trust me with anything," MJ pleaded.

"I do trust you," Peter said quickly, trying to alleviate any fears, "It's just…I'm not sure what's happened myself."

"Tell me the best you can," MJ assured him.

"It started the day after the accident. You remember when we were on our way to the hospital but we stopped at that road block?" Peter asked.

MJ nodded in affirmation.

"When we were there, I got bitten by a spider," Peter stated.

"So?" MJ asked.

"So after that, everything started to change. I changed," Peter explained.

"What do you mean you changed?" MJ questioned.

"Let me show you," Peter said simply before taking a step backwards. He took a look around him, making sure nobody else was watching. Holding his arms out to his sides dramatically, Peter crouched before leaping into the air. He soared into the air before doing two flips. He quickly fell back to earth, where he managed to catch himself on his two index fingers, holding himself up in a handstand.

MJ merely stared at him for a few moments, her mouth agape.

"Ta da?" he said uneasily.

"…Holy shit, Peter," she whispered.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Peter joked before he hopped back to his feet.

"Peter that was amazing!" she exclaimed.

"Quite!" Peter shushed, "We don't want the whole block to know do we?"

"Sorry," MJ said, embarrassed.

"Besides, that's not all I can do," Peter said with a grin. He then turned to a trash can sitting on the curb, before shooting a shot of webbing at it. The can fell over with a clatter as a cat let out a shriek.

"Was that…?" MJ trailed off.

"Webbing? Yeah," Peter answered.

"How?" MJ asked.

"Not sure. It all happened after that spider bit me. I think that what happened to Gar and the others happened to that spider, and somehow by biting me, it changed me as well."

"Seriously?" MJ asked, raising an eyebrow, "That seems a little far-fetched if you ask me."

"MJ, would you like me to do that trick again?" Peter asked blandly.

"All right, point taken," MJ relented, "So what now?"

"I don't know. I don't think I'm a mutant, and I don't see any point in drawing any attention to myself," Peter said, "At least not now after beating up Flash."

"So what?" MJ asked, "You're just going to go through life with the ability to jump twenty feet into the air and shoot webbing from your wrists?"

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet," Peter said with a shrug, "I bet I can find something that these powers would be useful for though."

"I have faith you will," MJ replied with a smile, before she stepped forward and hugged him, "Thanks for trusting me with this."

"Who else would I?" Peter asked as he returned the hug.

Slowly they pulled apart, and realized how close they were to each other. They looked at each other for a few moments, before looking away and quickly separating, blushes on their faces.

"I should get going," MJ said quickly.

"Yeah, me too," Peter agreed.

They quickly said their goodbyes before walking to their respective homes. Before he went in, Peter glanced over at MJ's house. He silently watched as she entered her home as a small smile grew on his face. After she had disappeared, he turned back to his door and went inside.

As Peter entered, he turned to go into the living room before he heard his aunt and uncle talking in the kitchen.

"I can't believe how expensive things have gotten, Ben," May said sadly.

"Me neither, May," Ben agreed.

"How are we going to pay for all this? We're stretched thin as it is," May asked with a slight tone of fear in her voice."

"I don't know but we'll find a way," Ben reassured her.

"How? We can't just make five thousand dollars appear out of thin air," she replied with a worried tone.

"We'll find a way," Ben repeated, though Peter could hear the worry in his voice.

A feeling of worry passed over him as well. He slowly entered the living room and sat on the couch with a sigh. He knew that he wanted to help, but five thousand dollars was a lot of money, more than someone his age could easily make. He leaned back into the couch with another loud sigh.

As he did, his eye caught something. On the coffee table in front of the couch was the day's newspaper. Reaching down, he picked up the page that was facing him, a section of the periodicals. Reading it, he saw a large ad in the corner of the page.

"Metropolis Extreme Wrestling," he read, "Special Volunteer Night. Survive five minutes in the ring with the Grizzly and win five thousand dollars."

That was it! The answer he needed to help his aunt and uncle. He could enter this contest and win the money. Sure this Grizzly guy was probably tougher then Flash, but Peter bet he could still take him with his powers. But he couldn't let people see who he was. He couldn't let his secret out in front of all those people like that.

Then an idea came to him. He could make a mask like one of those Mexican wrestlers. That would hide his identity! Peter smiled as he stood up and made his way to his room. He had a costume to make.

A/N: A good deal of exposition in this chapter. Hope you guys liked it. I think you guys can all tell that we have a big moment next chapter. Please review! Later True Believers!


	5. Along Came a Spider: Part 4

**Chapter 5: Along Came a Spider: Part 4**

_Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future._

_-_John F. Kennedy

_October 1__st__, 2012_

Peter sat alone in his room, putting the finishing touches on his costume. It wasn't much, but Peter had never claimed to have artistic skill and it suited him enough anyway. The outfit was simply a red ski mask along with a pair of driving gloves and a red sweater that Peter had drawn a black spider symbol on the front. Trying them on along with a pair of jeans and his sneakers, Peter stood in front of his mirror to examined himself.

"Oh yeah!" he said as he flexed, "Who wants a piece of the Human Spider?"

"Peter!" Ben's voice came from down stairs.

"Y-Yeah?" Peter asked, caught by surprise.

"You still need me to take you and MJ down to the library?" he asked.

"Yeah, Uncle Ben, that would be great!" Peter answered as he began to change.

"Alright, just tell me when you're ready and we can head out," Ben said.

Peter quickly changed before putting his outfit into his bag. He quickly texted MJ to come over to his house for the ride before heading down stairs. A few minutes later and MJ walked up the steps and inside.

"Hey, Mr. Parker," she greeted Ben as she walked in.

"Hello, Mary Jane," Ben greeted her with a smile.

"So you kids ready to go?" Ben asked as he grabbed his keys.

"Yeah," Peter said as he picked up his bag.

_Later_

Ben pulled up in front of the grand concrete building that was the Metropolis Public Library. MJ quickly thanked him before grabbing her things and hopping out of the car.

"Hey Peter, can you hold on a second?" Ben asked.

"Yeah sure, Uncle Ben," Peter replied, before signaling for MJ to give him a moment.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I just wanted to talk to you about a few things. About what's been happening in your life right now," Ben explained.

"Uh, okay," Peter replied, unsure exactly where the conversation was headed.

"We never really talked about what happened between you and that Thompson boy," he started.

"Uncle Ben," Peter sighed, "I told you I didn't start that fight."

"But you sure as hell finished it," Ben commented.

"What was I supposed to do, run away?" Peter asked, anger rising in his voice.

"No you weren't" Ben replied before he stopped with a sigh, "You're changing Peter, I know. I went through the same exact thing when I was your age."

"Not the same thing, Uncle Ben," Peter corrected with a bemused smile.

"You're right," he said with a smile of his own, "Not exactly."

A strange feeling of worry swept over Peter as Ben said those words. Did Ben suspect something?

"Listen Peter, these are the years when a man changes into the man he's going to be for the rest of his life. Be careful who you change into. This Flash kid, he probably got what was coming to him. But just because you could beat him up doesn't give you the right to. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility," Ben explained.

"Alright, Uncle Ben," Peter said with a slight smile, "I'm sorry if I disappointed you."

"Peter, you could never disappoint me," Ben said sincerely as he clasped Peter on the shoulder, "Now go on, I think MJ is waiting for you."

"Alright," Peter said as he opened the door to get out, "Thanks again, Uncle Ben."

"My pleasure," Ben responded with a smile.

Peter shut the door and walked over to where MJ was patiently waiting for him.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"Nothing really. He just wanted to pass on some of his sagely wisdom," Peter joked.

"We'll you're certainly short on that if you still think this is a good idea," MJ commented.

"Worried about me?" Peter teased.

"Of course I am," MJ retorted, "This is a professional wrestler Peter. He eats guys like you for breakfast."

"Do you know another way of making five thousand dollars?" Peter asked.

"Well no, but still I'm worried," MJ admitted.

"Don't worry," Peter assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder, "You know what I can do. I'll be fine. This Grizzly guy won't know what hit him."

"Alright," MJ relented, smiling slightly at his confidence, "Come on, we don't want you to be late for the sign-ups. You got the costume?"

"Yep," Peter said, patting his bag.

"So what name did you decide on?" she asked.

"The Human Spider," Peter said with a slightly dramatic voice.

"…That's pretty bad, Peter," MJ said with a deadpan voice.

"I thought it was kind of cool," Peter said defensively.

"Whatever, you big dork," MJ replied while rolling her eyes, "Let's get going."

_Later_

Peter stood in line to sign up for the contest. He was fully dressed in his costume, his breathe hot on his face as it reflected off of the mask. Looking around, he saw that most of the men standing in line with him were much larger than he was. Many were larger than even Flash was.

"Next!" a voice called, snapping Peter back to reality. Looking up, he saw an African-American woman sitting at a folding table. She looked at Peter with a raised eyebrow. Peter quickly stepped up to the table.

"Name" she asked looking at the form in front of her.

"The Human Spider," Peter answered firmly.

The woman looked at him again with a questioning look.

"Aren't you a little small for this?" she asked.

"Trust me, I can handle myself," Peter insisted.

"Alright," the woman said as she pushed a paper across the table, "Just sign this paper alleviating us of all legal liability in the unfortunate chase of you becoming injured."

Peter quickly signed the paper, before pushing it back over to the woman.

"Alright, you're all set," she said as she put an obviously fake smile, "Have fun."

"Thanks?" Peter said, confused before he turned and walked towards where the other contestants were lined up.

_Later_

Peter stood in the line of contestants, each waiting for their turn to try and take on Grizzly. In fact, Peter was next in line, looking through the curtain that separated him and the ramp leading to the ring. Peeking through the curtain, he saw the man currently fighting the wrestler.

Grizzly was a large and powerfully built man. He wore tight stretch pants colored black and green along with heavy black boots. His large barrel chest was covered in hair and he had a full beard and long brown hair. Wild, brown eyes looked out from behind the forest of hair. He roared like an animal as he picked up his opponent and hurled him out of the ring, shouting to the cheering crowd at the top of his lungs.

"Whoa!" the announcer shouted into the microphone he was carrying. He was somewhere in his thirties, with slicked-back, black hair and eyes concealed by sun glasses. He wore a sparkling red suit with a black vest and bowtie under it.

"That has to be a new record for old Grizzly, don't you think folks?" he asked as he made his way up the entrance ramp.

"Now it's time to introduce our next challenger!" he shouted as he stopped in front of the curtain, his back to Peter.

"What's your name, kid?" he whispered, moving the mic away.

"Huh?" Peter responded dumbly.

"Your name!" the announcer insisted.

"The Human Spider," Peter replied.

"The Human Spider?" the announcer asked with a confused face, "That's a terrible name!"

The announcer walked away as he flashed his brilliant smile again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you, your new challenger, the Stupendous, the Spectacular, the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN!" he bellowed before turning back to the curtain as it was pulled away, revealing Peter.

Peter stood there in confusion and surprise as he tried to figure out what to do. A large security guard came over and urged him down the ramp.

"He got my name wrong!" Peter shouted.

"I don't care!" the guard responded as he shoved Peter down the ramp, "Now get out there!"

Peter stumbled the first few feet down the ramp before regaining his footing and walking down. Looking around, he saw the large crowd that had gather in the stadium. Many were booing him or shouting excitedly at him.

Looking around, Peter actually managed to catch sight of MJ in her seat near the middle of seating area on the first floor. He could see she was cheering him on, though he couldn't actually hear her.

Turning back to the ring, he saw Grizzly pacing excitedly, watching Peter with an almost hungry look in his eyes. Steeling himself, Peter hopped up onto the ring and ducked through the ropes.

"I'm going to tear you apart!" Grizzly roared at him from across the ring.

Peter thought of a witty retort but before he could say it, there was a loud clanking sound from overhead. Looking up, Peter saw a large steel cage slowly descending over the ring. The crowd cheered in appreciation as the cage came to rest on the ring. Grizzly growled in appreciation as he stomped around the ring, testing the bars of the cage.

"That's right folks!" the announcer shouted, "The amazing Spider-Man will be trapped in the cage with the Grizzly for a full five minutes!"

"Hey," Peter shouted, grabbing the bars of the cage in desperation, "I didn't agree to any cage match!"

Peter's cries fell on deaf ears however as the bell to start the match rang. Peter heard Grizzly let out a monstrous roar before he felt two large hands clamp onto his shoulders. With a cry of surprise, Peter was hefted into the air by Grizzly, who quickly threw him across the ring. Peter let out a cry of hurt and surprise as he slammed into the cage with a loud clang before he fell to the mat.

Peter shook his head to clear it, before looking over and seeing Grizzly charging at him. As he did, a familiar buzzing filled his head as everything seemed to slow down. Peter quickly rolled to the side as Grizzly threw a kick at him, missing. With a growl, Grizzly turned as Peter picked himself up. Grizzly charged him and Peter turned and ran, earning boos from the crowd. As he reached the edge of the ring, Peter hopped up onto the ropes before hopping up and placing his feet against the bars. He quickly pushed off of the bars before flipping backwards over Grizzly's head. Grizzly didn't expect his move and ran full on into the ropes, grabbing the bars to stop himself from bouncing back.

As Peter landed, he quickly rushed forward, and jumped up, drop kicking Grizzly in the back with both feet, slamming him into the bars. Peter landed gently on his back as Grizzly bounced off the ropes and stumbled backwards. Peter quickly held his feet up as Grizzly stumbled back onto him. With Grizzly's back resting on his feet, Peter curled his legs before pushing forward, sending Grizzly flying through the air and slamming into the bars again and slumping against the ropes.

Growling in anger, Grizzly pulled himself up by the bars and ropes. As he did, Peter leapt back to his feet before hopping over Grizzly's head and grabbing the bars, holding himself above him. Putting his foot against the back of Grizzly's head, he slammed it against the bars. Peter did this a few more times before he hopped back down to the mat as Grizzly slumped against the ropes. The crowd had gone into a stunned silence as Grizzly pulled himself up.

Growling, the large man turned towards Peter, anger in his eyes. With a primal roar, he charged at Peter. Peter ran at him in response. When Peter got close enough, he hopped into the air and planted a foot on Grizzly's chest before swinging his other upwards and kicking Grizzly hard in the chin. The momentum sent Peter flipping backwards as Grizzly flew through the air, flipping once and landing hard on his back. Peter landed gracefully on the mat, earning a cheer from the crowd.

Grizzly groaned as he tried to pick himself up. Peter quickly turned away from him and ran towards the edge of the ring. Hopping on to the ropes, he springboarded off of them and turned in midair. As he reached the top of the cage, he grabbed the bars before swinging himself forward, and flying through the air right above Grizzly. The wrestler could only look on with a mixture of fear and astonishment as Peter fell towards him. Before Grizzly could move, Peter fell upon him, driving his feet into Grizzly's stomach. Grizzly let out a strangled cry of pain before his head fell back and his eyes closed as he fell unconscious.

Peter stepped off Grizzly's chest before throwing his hands triumphantly into the air as the crowd roared in approval. Looking into the crowd, he managed to spot MJ again, who was jumping up and down ecstatically as she applauded and shouted.

"You saw it here folks!" the announcer shouted, barely able to contain his excitement, "The Grizzly has been defeated! Your winner tonight is the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN!"

The crowd cheered twice as loud as Peter continued to hold his hands in the air, letting out a cry of joy.

_Later_

Peter stood in a small office in the back rooms of the stadium. He was still dressed in his outfit and MJ stood behind him, smiling happily. Before them was a desk behind which a man sat. He was middle aged, with balding black hair and dark beady eyes. He wore a brown vest over a white, button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up along with a simple black tie.

Peter watched with giddy anticipation as the man counted out the money before him. When he was done, he collected it all into a neat pile and handed it to Peter without a word. Peter smiled as he took the money and refilled through it. As he did, the smile fell away from his face, replaced by a confused expression. He went through the stack of bills a second time, carefully counting each of them.

"Um, excuse me?" he said, catching the man's attention, "There's only a thousand dollars here."

"I know," the man replied simply, "Don't spend it all in one place."

"The advertisement said I would get five thousand dollars if I won," Peter explained, anger rising in his voice.

"No, the advertisement said you would get five thousand dollars for spending five minutes in the ring with Grizzly. You knocked him out in one, so I give you one thousand dollars."

"That's not fair!" MJ exclaimed.

"Life ain't fair, kid," the man shot back, "Consider yourself lucky that you're getting that."

"I need that money!" Peter shouted, slamming his hands on the table, causing cracks to form on the hard wood desk.

"That's not my problem," the man said coldly, before gesturing towards the door, "Now get out of my office."

Peter looked like he wanted to punch the man's face in but MJ quickly reached out and put her hand on his arm.

"Let's go, tiger," she said, nodding to the door.

Peter growled but complied, taking the money and walking out the door with MJ, slamming it behind him. He stormed down the hallway away from the office, barely noticing as another man rushed by him.

He walked a bit further down the hall way before letting out a growl of frustration and punch the concrete wall next to him, causing cracks to form.

"Damn it!" he shouted, "I can't believe this!"

"Calm down, Peter," MJ said putting a hand on his shoulder, "It will be alright."

"How!" he demanded, "How is it going to be alright! That was my one shot to help my aunt and uncle and I just got screwed out of it."

"We…We'll think of something," she reassured him, though she didn't sound to certain herself. She slowly led him down the hallway to where the elevator was and she pushed the button.

Peter was about to say something to her but was interrupted when he heard shouting from the office. Turning they saw a man sprint out of the office towards him. He appeared to be in his thirties, with spikey blond hair and wild blue eyes. He wore a black leather jacket over a red shirt and jeans. He was running full sprint down the hallway towards them, a bag in one hand and a revolver in the other.

"Stop him!" the man in the office shouted as he rushed out after him. A security guard came rushing around the corner and chased after the robber. The elevator opened behind Peter and MJ as the robber ran towards him.

The robber's eyes met with Peter's as he approached. In one move, Peter pushed MJ behind him before stepping aside and letting the robber pass. The robber smirked as he ran by and hopped into the elevator, slamming on the buttons.

"Thanks!" the robber shouted with a smile before he disappeared behind the closing doors. The guard reached the door a second to late, slamming his fist against it.

"Damn it!" he shouted before he started hustling towards the stairs.

"What did you do!" the manager shouted as he ran up to Peter, "You could have torn that guy apart!"

"Not my problem," Peter said with a shrug.

The manager looked at him with shock before turning and hurrying the way guard had gone.

"Peter. Do you think that was a good idea?" MJ asked.

"It's karma, MJ," Peter said simply, "That guy got what he deserved. Come on, Uncle Ben will be waiting for us."

_A few minutes later_

Peter and MJ were quickly jogging towards the public library, after Peter had changed back into his street clothes. Luckily, the library was very close by. As they ran around the corner, they slowed down as they saw a crowd of people gathering in front of the library by the street. Red and blue lights flashed from a nearby police car as officers worked on cordoning off the area.

Peter and MJ gave each other a confused look before heading over to the crowd. The manage to easily push their way through the group until they could see what they were all gathering for. When Peter saw it, he felt as if ice was suddenly running through his veins.

Laying before him was Uncle Ben. Blood oozed out of a hole that had been blown in his chest, which rose and sunk with his ragged breathing.

"Uncle Ben!" Peter shouted as MJ let out a gasp of shock behind him. Peter tried to push his way through the crowd, but the cops attempted to hold him back.

"Let me go!" Peter yelled as he shook them off, "That's my uncle!"

The cops let Peter pass and he quickly fell to his knees next to his uncle.

"Uncle Ben!" he cried as he cradled the older man's head in his lap.

"Peter?" he asked weakly, "Is that you?"

"Yeah, Uncle Ben, it's me," Peter replied as tears began to fall down his cheeks.

"Oh Peter I'm sorry," Ben apologized, "A came to pick you and Mary Jane up but this man with a gun came and demanded the car. I tried to talk to him but he was so jumpy…"

Ben began coughing violently as Peter tried to think of what to do.

"Don't talk, Uncle Ben," Peter said, tears streaming down his face now, "The paramedics will be here soon."

"Peter…take care of your aunt w-when I'm gone," Ben asked.

"Uncle Ben, don't talk like that," Peter pleaded desperately, "You'll be fine."

"P-Peter…I wanted you to know that y-your f-father would be proud of you…just like I am," Uncle Ben said as his voice grew weaker.

"Uncle Ben," Peter said softly, his breath hitching in his throat. In the back of his mind he could hear MJ sobbing behind him.

Ben looked at Peter, taking a breath as if he was going to say something more, but instead the breath slowly left him, his eyes closing as his body sagged in Peter's arms.

"Uncle Ben?" Peter asked, desperation seeping into his voice, "Uncle Ben!"

But Ben lay limp in his arms, unmoving and unfeeling. Ben was gone. Peter broke down into hysterical sobs and held the body close to him. He felt MJ slide up behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and crying into his back.

"We have the suspect in our sights!" he heard the radio of the nearby police car crackle, "He is traveling down 23rd street towards the docks! We are in hot pursuit and requesting back up!"

As the information reached Peter through his sorrow, he felt something change in him. The soul crushing despair was quickly replaced by the white hot heat of hate. His hands balled into fists on his dead uncle's shirt as he slowly pulled away, hot tears streaming from his hateful eyes.

"MJ," he said, causing her to look up from her own sobbing, "Stay with my uncle."

"Peter?" she questioned, looking at him as he put Ben's body down and stood up.

"Stay here," he repeated before turning and pushing through the crowd, grabbing the bag containing his uniform as he did so.

"Peter! Where are you going! Peter!" MJ called as Peter disappeared.

Peter rushed away from the crowd, heading to a nearby alley. Ducking in, he threw his shirt off before reaching and pulling on the one for his costume. He then quickly pulled on his gloves and mask before kicking off his shoes. He tossed the bag of clothes aside before leaping onto one of the walls and climbing up. He reached the top of the building and ran to the edge before leaping off and shooting a webline, sending him swinging down the city street.

Peter swung quickly through the city streets, trying to reach the area that the police had indicated in as little time as possible. As he swung, he heard sirens in the distance and headed in their direction. Soon the police cars appeared before him, chasing a car. Uncle Ben's car. Renewed anger filled Peter as he sped up. Taking a mighty swing, Peter flew through the air before landing on the roof of the car with a loud thunk, denting it.

He was about to reach down to punch through the window, when he felt the tingling sensation. Leaping forward, he just avoided the bullets that punch through the roof of the car. Twirling through the air, he landed on the hood of the car. He glared into the car, but couldn't quite make out what the driver looked like. The driver swerved the car left and right, trying to shake Peter off, but his grip remained strong.

Leaning back on his feet, Peter held up his hands and shot a blast of webbing across the windshield. The driver swerved even more wildly in his blinded state, before he turned and headed straight for one of the warehouses. Peter leaped clear as the car plowed through one of the old wooden walls. Peter landed a few feet away before he turned and rushed back, leaping through the hole the car had made.

Looking inside, he saw the driver had fled the car. Looking up, he saw the man disappear up the stairs. Peter's eyes narrowed before he chased after him.

The man ran around the level in a panicked state, a bag in one hand and a gun in another. His eyes were wild with fear as he looked around for a place to hide and escape. He spotted a dark corner and ran towards it. As he reached it, a fist shot out of the darkness, hitting him in the face, sending him stumbling backwards. The man regained his senses and pointed his gun in the direction of where he had been hit, but found no one there.

Walking backwards, he looked around wildly, pointing his gun at every slight noise. Hearing a loud creak behind him, the man whirled around and fired his gun into the darkness. His heart dropped when he heard something drop behind him. The man whirled around to point his gun at the person behind him, but his arm was grabbed and the gun was knocked from his hand. Before he could react, Peter punched the man in his chest, sending him flying across the room and slammed into a wall.

Peter marched towards him, ripping off his mask as he approached. As the man tried to get up, Peter grabbed him by the front of his shirt and lifted him into the air, slamming him against the wall.

"Murder!" he shouted as he glared at the man. When he did, his anger was suddenly replaced with a feeling of horror. Peter could now see the man's face clearly for the first time, thanks to a light from a nearby window. With horror Peter realized he recognized him. It was the robber, the man who had stolen the wrestling manager's money. The man he had let get away.

"No," Peter whispered to himself as realization dawned on him, "No!"

Peter dropped the man and quickly backed away, gripping his hair in his hands.

"It can't be you! Anyone but you!" Peter babbled.

The man quickly got back to his feet, watching Peter with wide eyes and trying to put more space between him and Peter.

"No! No! That…That means it's my fault," Peter mumbled to himself.

"Stay away from me, man!" the man said as he continued to back away. However, he wasn't watching where he was stepping and tripped over a loose board. With a shout, he stumbled backwards towards one of the windows. Peter moved to save him, but as he did the man went plummeting out the window with a scream. Peter quickly rushed to the window and looked down, greeted by the sight of the man's broken body lying on the docks below.

The police had surrounded the building and quickly moved to inspect the man. Seeing he was dead, they turned their attention to the window he had fallen from. Peter quickly ducked out of the way, before sneaking over to another window and leaving the building.

_Meanwhile_

"And that's when you showed up," Peter finished, wiping his eyes with a sniff.

"I'm sorry to hear all that Peter," Clark said sympathetically. The two were now sitting side by side on the edge of the build, overlooking the harbor.

"I just can't believe it," Peter mused with a fresh bout of sobs, "Uncle Ben is dead and it's all my fault."

"Peter, you can't think that," Clark stated with a worried tone.

"But it's true!" Peter wailed, "If I had stopped that robber, Uncle Ben would still be alive!"

"Be that as it may, you weren't the one who shot your uncle. You weren't the one who killed him."

"But-" Peter started to protest.

"Trust me, Peter, I've been through the same thing. The guilt will eat you up if you let it," Clark said, placing his hand on Peter's shoulders and looking him dead in the eye.

"Really?" Peter asked.

"Yes," Clark replied before standing up, "Now, we should probably get you home. I'm sure your aunt is worried about you."

Peter nodded before standing up and putting his mask back on.

_Later_

Clark carried Peter back to his neighborhood, dropping him off close to the house.

"Thank you, Superman," Peter said, looking at his feet, "Thanks for listening to me."

"It was no problem, Peter," Clark said, putting his hand on Peter's shoulder again, "If you need me, for anything, just call. I'll here you."

Peter nodded before turning and running towards his house. Clark watched him go before rising into the air. From his bird eye view, Clark could see Peter run up to a house that had a few police cars parked out front. As he ran up, an elderly woman ran out to meet him and they embraced. Clark watched sadly, before turning and flying towards his home.

A/N: And that wraps up Spider-Man's origins. Hope you guys liked it, feels like I gave it the attention it deserves. Hope you guys liked it! Please review! Later, True Believers!


	6. Beachhead

**Chapter 6: Beachhead**

_And all around is the desert; a corner of the mournful kingdom of sand._

-Pierre Loti

_ October 3__rd__, 2012, Queensland Pier_

Sitting where the great city of Metropolis met the mighty Atlantic Ocean was a large pier. It was a large wooden structure like many others like it. On it were a few restaurants and shops along with a number of attractions like a roller coaster and a Ferris wheel. Open bits of beach sat on either side of the pier, giving the people of Metropolis a place to enjoy the nearby ocean.

A young boy ran along the beach, dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans due to the cold air coming off the sea. Skidding to a stop, he kneeled down and started to make a sand castle. As he slowly built the crude structure, he noticed something. The sand had started to move, even after he had stopped touching it. Looking closer, he saw that the sand was moving like something was under it. He was still looking at the sand when the whole beach began to stir. The sand shifted and shook under him, causing the boy to fall.

As he sat, he saw the sand begin to flow together, reaching up into the air as it gathered. The boy screamed in fright as he ran away, his sand castle crumbling behind him. As he ran, the sand pile reached higher and higher as a face began to form at its top

_Meanwhile,_

Clark sat at his desk, staring dazedly at his computer screen. He had a report to write, but it wasn't exactly important and he could do it by the deadline. His thoughts were currently occupied by the story Peter had told him a few days ago. Clark just couldn't get over it, even after he had told Diana and Thor about it. Just the sheer tragedy of it weighed on his mind. And it kept bringing him back to a memory from long ago. The memory of Sinestro and D and the pain it left.

"Earth to Smallville," he heard Lois say next to him, "Earth to Smallville."

Clark snapped back to reality with a start. Looking to his side, he saw Lois has slid across the aisle on her chair and was now sitting next to him.

"Lois!" Clark said with surprise.

"Yep, that's me," she said with a smirk, "Something on your mind?"

Clark just shrugged.

"Come on, Smallville," Lois urged, "I'm a reporter. I'll get the truth one way or the other."

"Well," Clark said with a sigh, "I ran into a young man a few nights ago."

Clark then began to relate the tale of his talk with Peter. He made sure to edit any mention of Peter's powers or his secret identity, but the impact was still the same. A teenage boy had lost the man he had considered his father and blamed himself for it.

"Wow," Lois whispered, "That's pretty tough for a kid."

"Yeah," Clark agreed, "I just wish I could do something to help."

"Hey," Lois said, having a thought, "You said his name was Peter, right?"

"Yeah, Peter Parker," Clark replied.

"I think I recognize that name," Lois mused before she stood up and began scanning the room. She looked for a few seconds before she found who she was searching for.

"Jimmy!" she called across the room, "Hey, Jimmy!"

The red hair teenager had been walking across the room, holding his camera. Hearing his name, he looked over to where Lois was. Seeing she had caught his attention, she waved him over. Waving back, Jimmy quickly crossed the room to where Lois and Clark were.

"Hey, Lois," Jimmy greeted her happily.

"Hey, Jimmy," Lois replied before turning towards Clark, "Have you met our new reporter, Clark Kent yet?"

"No, I haven't," he answered, extending his hand, "Good to meet you, Clark."

"Good to meet you to, Jimmy," Clark replied as he shook his hand.

"So Clark was telling me how he had ran into your friend Peter a few nights ago," Lois explained.

"Oh, yeah," Jimmy said sadly.

"I'm sorry to hear about what happened to his uncle," Lois said, sympathetically.

"We all are," Jimmy said.

"Do you think there is anything we can do to help?" Clark asked.

"Well, his uncle was the one who worked. His aunt's retired so I think she gets Social Security and his uncle had life insurance so they should be alright for now, but I think Peter is probably going to have to get a job if they want to keep the house," Jimmy explained.

"Hmmm," Clark mumbled thinking, "Say Jimmy, this is just a shot in the dark, but is Peter any good with a camera?"

"Actually, yeah!" Jimmy said excitedly, "We're both are in the Photography Club at school."

"Maybe we can pull some strings to get him a job here," Lois mused, "I'm sure the Chief could use some more photographers."

"That'd be great!" Jimmy exclaimed, "Thanks a lot, guys."

"Don't worry about it, kid," Lois said, affectionately rustling his hair, "I'm a sucker for sob stories."

Clark chuckled at the display, before something caught his attention. His ears twitched as he heard a far off sound. He quickly looked in the direction of the sound, looking through the walls with his x-ray vision.

"Something wrong, Smallville?" Lois asked, noticing his distant expression.

"Oh, um…" Clark said as he tried to think of an excuse. Suddenly, a door banged open followed by loud shouting.

"Lane!" a familiar voice bellowed from across the room. Turning, Clark saw Mr. Jameson standing at the door of his office.

"Yeah, JJ?" she asked.

"Take Olsen and get down to Queensland Pier! People are saying some sort of…sand monster is attacking the city!" he exclaimed.

"Sand monster?" Lois asked in confusion.

"I don't know, that's what people are saying. But I'll be damned if I don't have someone down there reporting on it! Now take Olsen and get down to the Pier!" he ordered.

"All right, all right," she said, holding her hands up in surrender, "Let's go Jimmy!"

"Right," Jimmy nodded with a smile, "Good to meet you, Clark!"

"See you around, Smallville!" Lois called as she ran to the elevator.

"Sooner than you might think, Lois," Clark mumbled as he looked over at Diana sitting at her desk. Catching her eye, he gave her a nod before he headed towards a secluded part of the office. Diana returned the nod, before she got up from her desk.

"Where are you going, Ms. Prince?" JJ asked in his usual sour tone.

"I was…going to get you more coffee, Mr. Jameson!" she explained quickly.

"Good thinking, Prince," JJ congratulated her, turning to go back into his office, "You should know what I like by now."

"Of course," she gave him a big smile, "Coffee as black as your soul."

"What?" he asked, turning back to look at her.

"I said black as usual."

"Er…right. Get on it! We have a paper to write!" he shouted before going into his office and slamming the door behind him.

Diana sighed and rubbed her temples before turning and walking away, hurrying to catch up with Clark.

_Moments later,_

Superman and Wonder Woman flew through the air over the city, heading towards the pier. As they flew, a crack of thunder caught their attention. Moments later, Thor flew up to meet them.

"Hail, friends" he greeted them as they stopped.

"Hello Thor," Wonder Woman greeted him.

"You heard about this sand monster too?" Superman asked

"Aye, the radio at my construction site did report of the beast's appearance," Thor explained.

"We should get going," Clark said firmly, "Someone has to stop this thing."

The others nodded before turning and flying off. They flew across the city until they closed in on where the city met the Atlantic. As they got closer, they could make out the Queensland Pier.

What caught there attention was what was slowly approaching the pier. It easily stood thirty feet tall and was human in shape, though it was very vague, with no definition in its face or body. The creature appeared to be entirely made out of sand, which shifted and crumbled off of it as it moved. The creature had three holes in its head area, forming the vague look of a mouth and eyes.

"Hera preserve us," Wonder Woman whispered as they came to a stop in the air.

"I have fought frost and fire giants in my time," Thor commented, "but never a sand giant."

"Come on," Clark said as he flew down towards a police barricade near the end of the pier. The three of them landed a few feet away from the gathered police officers who turned to face them as they landed.

"Officers," Superman greeted them.

"Holy crap, you're Superman!" one of the officers exclaimed.

"That's what they call me," Superman replied with a chuckle, "I need you men to stay back. Me and my friends here will handle this monster."

"You got it Superman. Be careful though, our bullets weren't doing jack against that thing," the officer explained.

"We pack a bit more punch then your guns, officer," Superman quipped before he took off into the sky.

"Wow," one of the officers said, "It's like the Sentry all over again."

"Yeah," another agreed, "and that lady. Wonder Woman? Didn't she fight in World War Two alongside Captain America?"

"No, that was a different Wonder Woman," the first corrected, "I've seen some of the old serials. She was blond."

"Oh right," the second replied, "And that third guy. He's Thor right? Like the Viking god of thunder?"

"Yeah," the first agreed, "Though I thought he was supposed to be a red head?"

The other cop merely shrugged in reply.

The sand monster lumbered along the beach towards the pier, its path undeterred by the police officers' attempts to stop it. Suddenly, Superman shot through the air and smashed into and through the monster's chest, sending a spray of sand into the air. The monster look at its chest in confusion before the hole quickly filled back up. The monster turned its head completely around to face Superman, who looked at in surprise.

Growling in rage, the monster swept one of its massive arms at Superman. Turning to face it, Superman punched the incoming limb, causing it to explode in a shower of sand. He turned back to face the sand monster as it looked at its now missing limb. He flew at its chest again, but to his surprise, a new fist shot out of the monsters chest. The fist was as large as he was and slammed into him hard, sending him flying through the air and crashing into the beach below.

The sand monster began to stomp over to where Superman had landed before Wonder Woman threw her lasso around its throat. The monster struggled against the lasso, before pushing forward, its sand body passing through the lasso. Wonder Woman flew backwards a bit as her lasso went slack, surprise written on her face. Before she could react, the sand monster whirled around and backhanded her, sending her flying through the air and crashing into one of the stands on the pier.

With a roar, Thor flew up behind the sand monster and smashed his hammer onto its head, obliterating it. Thor smiled at his handiwork as he shouldered his hammer. However, instead of falling, the sand monster remained standing. As Thor watched, the torso opened up like a mouth before it lunged forward and swallowed Thor whole. The sand monster regrew its head and turned towards the ocean before spitting Thor out, sending him skipping across the ocean surface before plunging underwater with a large splash.

Growling, the sand monster turned back to the pier and began stomping towards it. Superman flew out of the hole towards the monster. He blasted it with his heat vision, causing some of the sand on its arm to turn to glass. The monster looked at its arm before looking at Superman. The sand swirled around and pushed the glass block to the front of its arm before it flung it at Superman. Clark punched the glass, causing into shatter into pieces, leaving Superman unharmed.

Superman flew at the monster, unleashing his heat vision as he did so. The monster staggered backwards as more of its body was turned to glass. Superman flew around it at super speed, burning the creature as he flew around it. In seconds, the monster was complete turned to clash, a look of pain frozen on its face. Superman's chest heaved as he floated in front of it, examining his handiwork.

Suddenly, the beach heaved up from under the glass figure. It formed into the sand monster, which grabbed the glass statue of itself and heaved it into the air. Before Superman could react, the monster swung it around and smashed the statue into Superman, shattering it and sending giant chunks of glass flying. The blow sent Superman flying across the ocean, splashing into the water.

Thor burst from the ocean, lighting crackling from his hammer. Pointing it forward, he fired a lightning bolt at it. The bolt blasted a chunk out of the monster's shoulder, but left it unphased, the sand reforming. Thor's eyes narrowed, before he began to spin his hammer above his head. As he did, the winds began to pick up, swirling around the sand monster. As the winds grew stronger, the sand monster started to be picked apart. Soon enough, the sand monster had been reduced to a giant dirt devil.

Thor smiled as he observed his handiwork, using his powers to stop the whirlwind. Instead of stopping however, the whirlwind kept churning. Thor looked at it with surprise and confusion before the whirlwind suddenly sprung upwards into the air, enveloping Thor in the sand. It churned around for a few seconds before slamming into the beach, creating a large crater and knocking a huge sand cloud into the air. The sand monster reformed with Thor now buried beneath its foot.

The monster slowly turned back towards the pier. As it did, a chunk of its head was blown out as Wonder Woman heaved a piece of debris at it. The monster shift backwards from the blow as its head reformed. Growling in irritation, it reached out with its hand and slammed Wonder Woman onto the ground, sending debris scattering and causing the boards of the pier to buckle and crack. The sand monster's form shifted again, so that now it was standing on both Wonder Woman and Thor, one beneath each of its feet.

Reaching out, the sand monster grabbed hold of the Ferris wheel with its pseudo-arms. Growling with effort, the sand monster pulled on Ferris wheel, causing the metal to groan with stress. With a loud crack, the supports broke and the sand monster hefted the wheel into the air, some of the seats breaking off and falling to the ground.

Roaring in triumph, the monster lifted the wheel above its head while lifting its foot off of Wonder Woman, preparing to smash it onto her. Before it could, a sonic boom rippled the air as Superman plowed through its chest, causing the monster to bellow in anger. As Superman rounded to attack again, the monster swung the Ferris wheel at him, smacking Superman out of the air like a fly. The blow sent Superman tumbling through the air and crashing into a building nearby, knocking a large hole in it.

Superman quickly picked himself up, shaking his head clear. He flew back out of the hole, ready to face the monster again. Instead, he saw the monster heave the Ferris wheel at him. Panic quickly swept through him, before determination crossed Superman's face. Figuring out the trajectory of the wheel, Superman flew up to where it would be before steeling himself.

The Ferris wheel flipped through the air like a gigantic coin, rushing through the air towards Superman. Gritting his teeth, Superman reached out his hands and braced himself. The wheel hit Superman like a sack of bricks. He gripped the metal of the wheel hard as he spun through the air with it. As he plummeted towards the city, he could hear the panicked cries of the people below. Grunting with determination, he righted himself and the wheel in air, stopping his fall only a few feet from the side of the building.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw people looking out the windows at him. They stared at him in shock for a few moments, before they began cheering. A few people even whipped out their cellphones and began taking pictures of him. Clark smiled and nodded at them, before taking off back towards the pier, causing the people to cheer louder.

As he flew, the pier and the sand monster came into view. The monster was now pounding on the pier, stamping on where Superman knew Wonder Woman was trapped. His eyes narrowing in anger and determination, Superman heaved the Ferris wheel at the monster. The creature turned, hearing the structure flying through the air, just in time to see the wheel smash into his chest and head, cutting the monster in half. The monster stumbled back, roaring in pain as it fell back into the water with a large splash.

Seeing the monster fall, Superman quickly flew down to where Wonder Woman lay. Bruises and scratches covered her bodies and her armor was covered in dust and dirt. She groaned as Superman helped her up.

"You alright, Diana?" he asked.

"It feels like I have been assaulted by Gaia herself," Diana groaned, before looking at him with a worried expression crossed her face, "Is Thor alright?"

Superman turned and looked down onto the beach, where Thor was pulling himself out of a hole in the beach.

"Thor, are you alright?" Superman asked.

Thor turned to face them, stumbling a bit as he did so.

"I have pulled myself out of larger holes before, my friend!" he said with a chuckle.

Superman smiled as well, before a sound in the water caught his attention. Looking over, he saw the sand monster rising out of the water, its body now made out of dark, wet sand. As it stood, Superman noticed large sections of the creatures form fall off and that it didn't seem to be regenerating.

"The water dissolves it," he said to himself.

"What?" Diana asked.

"The water dissolves the creature," he repeated, before turning towards Thor, "Thor! The water is dissolving it! Hit it with water!"

Thor nodded in reply before he rushed towards the water. Swinging his hammer like a golf club, he hit the water. The force caused the water to spring up like a tidal wave. The water soared through the air before crashing down on the monster. The creature roared in agitation as it stumbled further back into the water, while more pieces of its form fell off.

As the creature fell back, Superman and Wonder Woman took off from the pier and flew straight at the monster. Wonder Woman reached it first, driving her fist into its shoulder. The blow hit with such force that the area exploded, knocking it's arm completely off. As the monster continued to reel, Superman flew up and punched it in the chest. The blow ripped the monster's torso apart, sending chunks of wet sand falling into the water. Slowly the rest of the sand fell into the water as well, before it all went still.

"Is it vanquished?" Thor asked, flying up to join them.

"I think so," Superman replied, "The only question now is what was it?"

Before Superman could think about it further, he heard the sound of people cheering behind him. Turning around, he saw a crowd of people had gathered behind the police lines. They were cheering and applauding loudly. Looking down, he could see a number of reporters as well, along with some photographers and cameramen taking their pictures and filming them. Looking closer, he could make out Lois and Jimmy in the crowd below.

"It appears the people approve of heroics, my friends," Thor said with a laugh, before he turned and waved at the crowd, earning an even louder cheer.

"It would seem so," Clark agreed before descending towards the beach. Reaching down, he grabbed a handful of sand, bringing it up closer to his face to observe it.

"Cl-" Wonder Woman began before Superman gave her a quick silencing glance, before nodding to the reporters, "Um, I mean…Superman."

Clark raised an eyebrow at her choice of name. Diana merely smirked and shrugged her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Examining the sand to see if I can get a clue to what created that monster," Superman explained.

"Clearly it must be some sort of magical automaton," Thor stated, "A sand golem of some sort, perhaps."

"I don't think so," Superman replied as he looked at the sand, "Being around the two of you and Dr. Strange has gotten me use to what magic looks like close up. This doesn't look like magic. This looks…organic somehow."

"You're saying that creature wasn't animated, but alive?" Wonder Woman asked.

"I believe so. I'll have to get this to the Fortress so I can properly analyze it," he explained before smiling sheepishly at the others, "Remind me to start carrying vials so I don't have to use my hands next time."

Thor smirked at him as Wonder Woman chuckled. Turning to the sky, Superman took off, his two friends following behind him. The reporters below watched as they disappeared into the sky.

_Later_

Lex Luthor sat silently in his office, watching a small television that had extended from his desk. His hands were steepled in front of his face as he leaned back in the chair. He watched intently as the television showed the battle between Superman, Wonder Woman, Thor and the sand monster. As he watched, the door to his office opened and a woman walked in.

The woman appeared to be in her late twenties, with short blond hair, blue eyes and a slim physique. She wore a red shirt under a grey jacket with matching grey pants and black, high heeled shoes.

"You rang for me, Mr. Luthor?" she asked as she came to a stop in front of her desk.

"Yes, Mercy," he replies, not looking up from the TV, "I need you to send one of the men down to the Queensland pier and retrieve some of the sand from the beach."

"Considering making your own sand monster?" Mercy asked.

"Perhaps. All I know is it would be in our best interest to figure out what made that creature," Lex explained.

"Of course, Mr. Luthor. I'll get someone on it right away," she replied.

"Good, you are dismissed," Lex stated, waving her away.

Mercy nodded before turning and leaving. Lex continued to stare at the screen, not having looked at her since she arrived. Pushing a button on his desk, he paused the feed. The image froze on that of Superman hefting the Ferris Wheel above his head. Lex leaned forward, looking closer at the image.

"Color me intrigued," he said to himself.

_Later_

The waves crashed gently against the beach that surrounded the Queensland Pier. People had long since left the area as police quartered off the area. The broken and battered pier sat in the distance, as the twisted remains of the Ferris Wheel could be seen sticking out of the water.

Slowly, a small patch of sand began to move. It rose off of the ground and began to condense, slowly forming a humanoid shape. The shape gained more and more detail as more sand joined its form, eventually even color began to appear.

Soon enough, the shape became a man, somewhere in his late thirties, with brown hair and eyes and a muscular physique. He appeared to wear a black shirt with black pants, gloves and boots. With a grunt, he pushed himself to his feet.

"W-Where am I?" he asked out loud, his voice hoarse.

Looking around, he saw the ruins of the pier in the distance.

"Queensland?" he asked, "I-I was here with Penny, but how…?"

Slowly, he looked down at his hands before letting out a cry of shock. His hands still had a sand-like quality to them, the individual grains visible. He shook his hands to try to make the image go away, but only managed to shake off some of the sand and distort his hands. Letting out another cry of surprise, he clenched his hands, willing them to reform. Slowly, they did, looking like completely normal hands.

As he continued to look at them, a thought came to him. Concentrating, his hands became sand-like again, before expanding and increasing in size. Concentrating more, they became hammer-shaped. He looked at them with wonder as they slowly changed back.

"What am I?" he asked himself before looking up at the city. Glancing around, he made sure no one was watching him, before he headed into the city and disappeared into the shadows.

A/N: So the first big action scene of this fic! Hope you guys liked it. I deliberated on it for a while, before deciding a wild, proto-Sandman would be a good choice. So tell me what you guys think with a review! Later, True Believers!


	7. Training Day

**Chapter 7: Training Day**

_It's all to do with the training: you can do a lot if you're properly trained._

-Elizabeth II

_ October 5__th__, 2012_

Peter sat on the stairs outside his house, looking at the ground as he was lost in thought. He was so detached that he didn't notice Mary Jane walk up to where he was sitting.

"Hey Pete," she greeted him.

"Oh, hey MJ," he replied as he snapped back to reality.

"Is that seat taken?" she asked, indicating to the space next to him on the stairs.

"Nope," he replied with a smirk.

"So, how are you holding up?" she asked as she sat next to him.

"Alright, I guess," he said with a shrug, "As well as I could hope. Just been thinking a lot lately."

"Thinking about what?" she asked.

Peter sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"The night Uncle Ben died, you remember I had that conversation with him in the car?" Peter asked.

"Yeah," MJ answered.

"We'll during that talk, Uncle Ben told me something," Peter explained, "He said, "With great power comes great responsibility." I haven't been able to get it out of my head since."

"What are you saying, Peter?" MJ asked.

"You know what people like Superman and Wonder Woman are doing. You saw what they did against that sand monster a few days ago. I think…I think I should do stuff like that. Use my powers to help people," Peter explained.

"Peter, you have to be joking!" MJ exclaimed, "Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"I know MJ, but it's something I have to do. I didn't stop that guy when I had the chance, and look what happened!" he exclaimed, his hands tightening into fists as he hopped to his feet.

"I can't…I won't let that happen again. I have the power to stop people like him. I have the power to save people. I'm damn well going to use it," Peter said firmly, "Besides, I won't be alone."

"What do you mean?" MJ asked.

"I told you about how I met Superman and told him my story, right?" Peter asked. MJ nodded.

"Well, he told me that if I need to talk to him, all I need to is call," Peter explained, "So I'm going to do that and ask him to train me."

"You think he'll do that?" MJ questioned.

"Yeah, I think he needs all the help he can get," Peter replied.

"So what are you waiting for?" MJ asked, a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Huh?" Peter asked, looking at her in confusion, "I thought you didn't want me to do this."

"I still don't," she replied, "But I see that you really want to do this and I believe you can help people."

She smiled at Peter, earning a smile in return.

"So what are you waiting for? Go get 'em tiger," MJ told him.

Peter smile grew larger as he started up the stairs to his house. As he reached the door, he turned and looked back at MJ.

"Thanks MJ," he thanked her.

"No problem," she replied with a smile.

Peter ran into the house and rushed up the stairs to his room. Entering, he picked up his bag and opened it. Sitting right on the top was his red sweatshirt, the spider symbol staring up at him. Peter smiled before zipping it close and throwing the bag over his shoulders and rushing out the door.

_Later_

Peter stood at the top of one of the many skyscrapers that dotted downtown Metropolis. He looked around the sky uneasily, trying to figure out exactly what he had to do get Superman's attention.

"Alright, so this is my first time doing this, so forgive me if it seems kind of weird," Peter said, talking to the empty air, "So yeah, it's me Peter Parker. I'm sure you remember me, or at least I hope you remember me. You said if I ever wanted to talk to you I just needed to call and I'm kind of guessing this is what you meant."

Peter looked around, but didn't see anything. No flying man, not dot on the horizon, nothing. Peter sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.

"So what did you want to talk about, Peter?" a voice asked from behind him. Peter let out a cry of surprise as he literally jumped five feet into the air. Whirling around, he found Superman floating behind him, his arms crossed with a smirk on his face.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," Peter said, placing his hand against his chest.

"Sorry," Superman replied with a smile, "So what can I do for you, Peter?"

"I…I want to be like you," Peter admitted.

"Be like me?" Superman questioned.

"A hero. I want to use my powers to help people," Peter explained.

"I see," Superman said solemnly, "That's a lot of responsibility, Peter."

"Yeah…I know," Peter said with a sigh, "But I'm willing to take it."

"Alright," Superman replied with a nod, "So what can I do to help?"

"I need someone to train me," Peter answered, "You and your friends seem to know what you're doing. I figured I could use some help in that department."

"I'm sure we can help," Superman said with a smile, "and I think I know just the place to do it, but before that, I think some introductions are in order."

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"I know who you are but you don't know who I am," Superman said as he landed, "So let me introduce myself. I was born as Kal-El of the planet Krypton."

"You…You're an alien?" Peter asked, flabbergasted.

"I am," Superman replied.

"You don't…look like an alien," Peter commented.

"I get that a lot," Superman commented, "Just a big cosmic coincidence I suppose."

"So why are you here?" Peter asked.

"My planet…was destroyed," Superman explained, "My parents sent me here when I was a baby in order to save me."

"Wow, I'm sorry to hear that," Peter replied, "Are there….?"

"Any left?" Superman finished for him, "Not that I know of."

"Wow. That's pretty rough," Peter commented.

"I manage," Superman replied, "But that's not all I am. When I landed here, I was taken in by a human couple named me Martha and Jonathan Kent. They raised me as their son."

Superman landed on the roof and walked up to Peter.

"My name is Clark Kent. It's good to meet you Peter," Clark said as he offered his hand.

"It's good to meet you too, Clark," Peter replied as he shook Clark's hand.

"So, let me bring you to my home. We can see what to do about your training and I can introduce you to the others," Clark said, as he lifted into the air again, taking Peter with him.

_Later_

Clark set Peter down on the balcony to his apartment before landing himself. Stepping forward, he opened the door and let Peter in. As they entered, Diana looked up from her position on the couch, dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans. Her feet were bare and a cup of tea was in her hands.

"Hello Clark," she greeted, before turning her eyes to Peter, "I take it this is someone we can trust?"

"It is. Diana, I'd like you to meet Peter Parker," Clark introduced him "Peter meet Diana, though you may know her as-"

"Wonder Woman," Peter finished, a smile on his face.

"Ah, so this is Peter Parker," Diana observed with a smile, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. What brings you here?"

"Peter asked for training," Clark explained, "He wants to use his powers to help people."

"I see," Diana stated as she stood up, "Very well, I will train him."

"I wasn't asking you to, Diana," Clark pointed out with a bemused smile.

"True, but I am the best one for the job. I have much more fighting experience then you, Clark and unlike you and Thor, I am familiar with fighting without powers such as flight, which should be helpful to Peter," Diana explained.

"I suppose you're right," Clark agreed with a nod.

"Good," Diana replied, before eyeing Peter, "Peter, if I may ask, what is in your bag?"

"Oh, it's my costume," Peter replied as he set it down and opened it. Reaching in, he pulled out the sweater that made up the main part of his costume. Unfurling it, he held it up for Diana to see.

"That's it?" Diana asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah?" Peter replied, deflating, "I have a mask too."

"I'm sorry Peter," Diana apologized, "I didn't mean to offend you."

"No, it's alright," Peter replied, "I know it's not very good. I don't know how to sow or anything like that. I just grabbed an old sweater and drew a spider on it."

"Well lucky for you, I do have some skill with a needle," Diana stated, "I can make you one to be proud to wear."

"You know how to sow?" Clark asked.

"Yes, Clark, I do," she replied, "Just because I don't fit the stereotypes of Man's World doesn't mean I don't know how to perform "womanly duties"."

"Sorry, sorry," Clark apologized, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"It's alright," she replied with a chuckle, "That can wait until later though. First, we should see what Peter can do."

Turning, she walked away from the living room towards where their bedrooms were located. Peter turned to look at Clark, trying to figure out what to do. Clark, in turn, motioned for Peter to follow her. Peter shrugged before picking up his bag and following her.

Diana walked down the hallway until she reached its end, Peter jogging up behind her.

"Um, no offense Diana, but there doesn't really seem to be a lot of room to train in here," Peter observed.

Diana merely smiled before she reached out and ran her finger along the wall. As she did, a thin line of light followed it. When she finished, the line of light continued, forming a square that resembled an elevator door. Then the light filled in the square, forming a doorway of light. The light was so intense that Peter was temporarily blinded. Eventually, the light dimmed and Peter saw a doorway had appeared in the wall.

Stepping through, Diana beckoned Peter to follow her. Peter obliged and looked around in amazement at the room. It was a large room, easily the size of the rest of the apartment. It was completely white and pristine, with no obvious source for the light illuminating it.

"Whoa," Peter said in amazement, "What is this place?"

"This is the training room," Diana explained, "We have to stay in shape, with the job we do."

"Is this some like, crazy alien technology or something?" Peter questioned.

"This? No," she replied, "This is magic."

"Magic? You've got to be kidding me," Peter replied flatly.

Diana merely glanced at him, a smirk on her face.

"You're not kidding me," Peter observed, "So I take it you're not some alien like Clark?"

"No, I'm not," Diana replied with a chuckle, "I am Princess Diana of the Amazons."

"Amazons? Like the worrier women from Greek myth?" Peter asked.

"The same," Diana replied.

"I don't remember anything about them flying and stuff," Peter observed.

"I am the champion of my people and the gods. They have blessed me with great speed and strength, enough to even rival another god," Diana explained.

"Gods? Like the ones on Mount Olympus?" Peter questioned.

"The same," Diana replied.

"They're…real?" Peter asked.

"Indeed," she answered.

"Wow," he replied, running his fingers through his hair "That's the second time my world has been rocked today."

"I realize this must be a lot to take in at once," Diana said with sympathy.

"So is Thor like the real Thor?" he asked.

"Yes, he is," Diana answered.

"Wow," Peter said again, "So did one of you make this place?"

"No, our friend the Sorcerer Supreme enchanted our home to allow it to do this," Diana explained.

"Sorcerer Supreme?" Peter asked, before shaking his head, "You know what, never mind. You can explain it to me later. Right now, I think I need to train while I try to absorb everything you guys have told me today."

"As you wish," Diana replied with a smirk, "So do you have any previous experience with combat?"

"Well, Clark told you my story right?" Peter asked.

"Yes, but I do not believe boyhood scuffles count as combat experience," Diana explained.

"All right, then I guess I don't really have any experience," Peter admitted.

"Very well, then I'll have to understand your skill before training you," Diana said, before sliding into a fighting stance, "Attack me."

"Seriously?" Peter questioned, "Just like that?"

"Just like that," Diana repeated, a smile on her face.

"Alright," Peter replied, before tossing his bag aside and running at her. Leaping into the air, he threw a kick at her head. Diana smiled as he flew at her, before she reached out and grabbed his foot with one hand, stopping his attack. A surprised look crossed his face before Diana whirled around and tossed him away with one hand. Peter let out a grunt as he hit the ground and rolled a few feet before he managed to hop to his feet.

Peter rushed at her again, this time going low and throwing a fist at her stomach. Diana easily caught this as well, before she twisted Peter's arm around, forcing Peter to face away from her. She quickly turned around as well, holding her and Peter's arms above her head. She then heaved him forward, flipping him over her head and slammed him onto the floor, face first. She released his hand before stepping back.

Peter groaned as he pushed himself up off the ground, rubbing his face in pain. He quickly hopped to his feet before firing a webline at her. The line snagged her wrist, causing Diana to look at it with surprise and confusion. Smirking, Peter yanked on the line, trying to pull her off her feet. Diana stumbled forward a step but managed to catch herself. Smirking, she wrapped her hand around the webline, before arching her foot into the air above the webline, before stepping down on it, causing Peter to stumble forward. Diana quickly whirled around and threw a kick at his face.

Peter's head buzz and everything slowed down for him again. He quickly dove forward, going with his momentum and managing to dodge Diana's kick. He quickly caught himself by the hands and coiled up like a spring behind Diana. Before Diana could turn around, Peter pushed himself back into the air, shoving both of his feet into her back and launching them both into the air. They flipped through the air, with Peter now standing on Diana's back as they flew through the air. He leapt off, sending her rocketing towards the ground. Instead of smashing into the ground, she landed like a cat on the ground. Meanwhile, Peter flipped through the air and landed on the wall. Diana smirked again as she brushed herself off and picked herself up.

"Now that was impressive, Peter," she congratulated.

"Um, thanks," Peter replied.

"You might not have any previous training or experience, but your powers have given you a large amount of raw talent. I can work with that," Diana explained.

Peter hopped down and walked over to her.

"Now, I will start showing you what it truly means to fight," Diana stated.

"Why do I feel like I'm going to be very sore afterwards?" Peter asked.

Diana merely smirked at him again.

_Later_

Peter hobbled back into the living room of the apartment, moaning as he rubbed one of his many bruises. As he walked in, he saw Clark, now in civilian clothes watching TV.

"How'd the first day of training go Peter?" Clark asked.

Peter merely groaned in response.

"Yeah, I figured," he said with a smirk as he got up, "I'll help you get home."

"Thanks, Clark," Peter replied with a smile.

"No problem. Hey, Peter, can I ask you a question?" Clark asked.

"Sure, what?" Peter questioned.

"Do you like taking pictures?" Clark asked with a smirk.

A/N: Not much to say about the chapter. Figured you'd want to see Peter beginning his training to become your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Hope you guys liked it! Please review! Later, True Believers!


	8. Rage

**Chapter 8: Rage**

_Anger is a wind which blows out the lamp of the mind._

-Robert Green Ingersoll

_ October 19__th__, 2012_

Clark hummed to himself as he sat at the kitchen table, slowly carving a face into the pumpkin that sat before him while a few that were already carved sat around him. Thor sat next to him, watching Clark with a perplexed look.

"Explained to me again, Clark," he asked, "How is this carved vegetable supposed to frighten away evil spirits?"

"For one, it's called a jack o' lantern, Thor," Clark explained with a chuckle, "Second, it's just tradition, and I don't think it actually frightens away spirits. At least not without some sort of enchantment on it. Obviously I don't know about things like that."

"I see," Thor commented, holding up one of the finished jack o' lanterns and examining it. Clark just chuckled as he watched his friend. It was then that Diana walked into the kitchen, holding a bundle of cloth.

"Well, I believe I am done with Peter's uniform," she said as she walked up to them.

"Alright, let's see," Clark requested, putting the pumpkin aside.

Diana quickly unfolded the clothes and laid them on the table for the others to see. The clothing consisted of a long sleeve t-shirt that was mostly red with blue running under the arms and down the side of the torso. It also had a black, spider symbol on the chest as well as a black web-like design running across the red parts. There was also a pair of tight cloth pants which were colored completely blue. There was also a pair of gloves and a pair of long socks, each colored red with the same black webbing design. Finally, there was a mask, colored completely red and with the same black web patter, along with two large white eye-like designs. She also lay out a yellow utility belt.

"Wow," Clark said as he looked over the costume, "This is very impressive, Diana."

"I am sure young Peter will be proud to wear it," Thor complimented with a smile.

"Thank you," Diana replied smiling at the praise.

"So how is your training going with….him…" Clark trailed off, looking past Diana. He quickly got up and walked into the living room. Diana and Thor exchanged confused glances before hurrying after him. Clark stood in front of the television, watching the new broadcast that was currently playing.

"We say again, the creature known by the authorities as "the Hulk" has been spotted in rural Colorado," the female reporter said, "For the past few months reports of the creature have sprouted up over the western US, but this is the first confirmed sighting of the creature. The military, led by General Thaddeus Ross have engaged the monster, in order to halt the destruction it has been causing. Thankfully, no civilians have been injured in the Hulk's rampage but the military is having difficulty bringing the creature down."

The image changed to that of a live footage from a helicopter, showing the green behemoth that was the Hulk, battling military personnel in a wooded area. The area had been devastated with toppled trees and upturned earth mixed in with the wreckage of military vehicles. The Hulk roared as he pounded the ground, shaking the earth and knocking a few soldiers off their feet. He then turned and leapt into the air, landing somewhere else in the forest.

"It's that monster," Diana stated, "the one from the desert."

"The Hulk," Clark added, before turning from the screen, "Come on, we have to go stop him."

The other's nodded in agreement as Clark turned and rushed into his room. A second later, he returned in his uniform, finding Diana and Thor waiting for him in their uniforms as well.

"Let's go," Superman said with a commanding tone, rushing up to the door leading to the balcony and opening it before all three of them flew out. As they left, the television suddenly became covered in static before the lights dimmed for a second as a small bolt of electricity shot off the television.

_Later, somewhere in Colorado_

The Hulk rushed through the thick forests, his footsteps thundering across the forest soil. He pushed branches and even small trees out of his way as he ran, desperate to keep moving. Soon enough, he came to a clearing in the forest where he slowed to stop. His massive chest heaved as he looked around, making sure he was alone.

"That's far enough," a voice said behind him. Whirling around, he found Superman floating behind him.

"**Hulk remember you**," the monster growled, pointing a meaty finger at Superman, "**You Flying Man.**"

"I am," Superman replied, his arms crossed over his powerful chest as he glared at the Hulk.

"**What you want?**" Hulk demanded, already on edge.

"I'm here to stop you," Superman stated, "Your rampage ends here."

"**Hulk no rampage! Hulk want be left alone! Soldiers attack Hulk!**" Hulk protested.

"That's not what I've seen," Superman replied, his eyes narrowing.

"**Fine! Hulk beat Flying Man before, Hulk beat Flying Man again!**" he growled, his hands clenching into massive fists.

"You may have beaten me before but I have backup this time," Superman responded. At his signal, Wonder Woman and Thor descended from the sky, surrounding Hulk. Hulk's eyes narrowed as he growled in anger. His growl quickly stopped though as a sly grin crossed his face.

"**Hulk have surprise for Flying Man too,**" he said sinisterly.

"What's that?" Superman asked, immediately wary.

"**Hulk not alone either**," he stated as his smile grew.

On signal, another man leapt from the undergrowth. He was tall and powerfully built, but not as much as the Hulk, standing about a head shorter than the giant of a man. He had shoulder length, dark green hair and green skin and eyes, much like the Hulk. He wore a torn pair of pants like the Hulk as well as a torn, sleeveless jacket.

He roared in fury as he grabbed Wonder Woman who had been caught off guard by his sudden appearance, and threw her at Thor. She slammed into him hard, sending them both falling to the ground and tumbling into the brush. The other monster roared as he leapt in after them.

"Thor! Wonder Woman!" Superman cried as he moved to help them. As he did though, Hulk grabbed his cape and yanked him backwards.

"**HULK SMASH!**" Hulk roared as he threw his massive fist forward, smashing it into Superman's face. The blow sent Superman flying backwards into the forest. He slammed into and then through at least six trees, toppling the mighty oaks and sending them falling to the forest floor. Superman hit the ground hard, rupturing the earth. He bounced off of it and slammed into another tree, coming to a screeching halt in a shower of splinters. The tree groaned before it fell to the side with a tremendous crack.

Superman tried to clear his spinning head by shaking it while rubbing the back of it in pain. He looked up as he heard the sound of Hulk's thundering footsteps as he came charging through the forest. He roared as he leapt forward, throwing a punch at Superman. Superman quickly ducked beneath the attack before darting forward and punching Hulk hard in the stomach. The blow caused the air to ripple, sending debris flying as Hulk was lifted into the air and the air raced from his lungs.

Superman quickly followed by uppercutting the Hulk on the chin, causing his head to snap back as he flew higher into the air. Floating up to him, he turned around as he grabbed Hulk's arm and pulled down on it, hurling Hulk forward. The Hulk flew through the air, crashing through some trees as he went. He fell and began bouncing off the ground like a green wrecking ball before he crashed to a halt dozens of yards away. Superman flew after him, looking to end it quickly.

_Meanwhile_

The green skinned man was thrown through the air, bouncing off a tree before crashing into the ground. He quickly pushed himself back to his feet before Wonder Woman flew out of the forest. Whirling around, the large man threw a punch at her, catching her off guard and slamming her back into the forest.

Seconds later, Mjolnir flew out of the forest and struck him in the stomach, sending him skidding backwards. Thor flew up and grabbed the handle of his hammer before swinging it upwards, smacking the man in his face, sending him flipping through the air. Thor flew up and slammed his hammer against the man's head, sending him crashing to the ground, causing a huge crater to form in the forest floor.

"**Hammer Man hurt Hulkling!**" the man bellowed as he stood up, glaring at Thor, "**Hulkling smash Hammer Man!**"

Reaching down, he grabbed a large rock from the hole he was in before hurling it at Thor. Thor swatted it out of the way with his hammer.

"'Tis that the best you can do, ogre?" Thor mocked as he shouldered his hammer. Hulkling responded by throwing a larger rock at him, hitting the unsuspecting Thor in the chest and sending him falling to the ground.

Hulkling roared as he leapt into the air, holding his hands above his head to smash Thor when he landed. Instead though, Diana's lasso shot out and wrapped itself around his hands. Tugging it, Diana pulled him towards her before swinging him away. She swung him in a long arc, smashing him through a dozen or so trees, sending them crashing to the ground. She then pulled him up into the air before slamming him into the ground, sending chunks of earth flying into the air.

Wonder Woman pulled on her lasso to bring it back to her but instead it was pulled taunt. Before she could react, Hulkling leapt back to his feet and yanked on it hard, pulling Diana off her feet and to him. When she reached him, he slammed a mighty fist onto her back, smashing her into the ground. Grabbing her by her throat, he lifted her up into the air before throwing her into the pile of fallen trees, sending them tumbling around.

By now, Thor had recovered and fired a lightning bolt at him. The bolt hit Hulkling in the chest, causing him to roar in pain as he was sent flying through the air. Hulkling growled in pain as he rubbed the black burn mark on his chest while standing up. Growling, he made his way towards Thor, but was blindsided as Wonder Woman picked up an entire tree and smacked him with it like a baseball bat, sending Hulkling flying back into the woods and out of sight.

"Are you alright?" Thor questioned as Wonder Woman placed the tree down with a large thud.

"I can manage," she replied as she dusted her hands off, "Come on, we have an ogre to slay."

Thor nodded and took to the air, heading towards where Hulkling would have likely landed.

_Meanwhile_

Hulk flipped through the air, landing hard on his feet, the momentum dragging him along the earth, leaving long trenches as his feet upturned the earth. Stopping himself, he looked up as Superman came flying out of the forest, his arm cocked back as he charged Hulk. Hulk crossed his arms in front of them as Superman punched him. He absorbed most of the blow, but the attack still sent him skidding backwards more, digging up more earth. Superman darted at him again, but this time Hulk lashed out with a backhand, hitting Superman hard, sending him flying into a tree, knocking it down.

Leaning down, Hulk picked up a down tree, hefting it like it was a stick, before rushing at Superman. Picking himself up, Superman quickly picked up the tree he had knocked down, before rushing at the Hulk. They both swung at each other, the two trees connecting like swords. The force caused the trees to explode in a shower of splinters. The force caused both of them to stumble backwards. Hulk quickly recovered before hurling the remains of his tree at Superman. He deflected it by throwing the remains he held, knocking the Hulk's away. He then quickly flew forward and punched Hulk hard on the jaw. The force of the blow sent him flying backwards, crashing through the forest.

The force of the blow sent him tumbling out of the forest onto hard asphalt. Pushing himself to his feet, he looked around, finding that he was standing on a street that turned sharply into view from the forest. Turning around, he saw the road turned alongside a cliff with a guardrail being the only thing between the cars and the open air.

Hulk was brought back to attention as Superman darted out of the forest at him. He punched Hulk hard in the gut, causing the giant of a man to double over in pain. He moved to strike Hulk in the face but Hulk grabbed his fist with his giant hand. As Superman pulled away, Hulk kneed him in the stomach. Superman doubled over in pain, allowing Hulk to pull him up by his hand and slammed him into the ground, cracking the asphalt.

Hulk lifted his hand to pound on Superman, but was stopped when he heard a loud horn blarring. Turning, he saw an SUV barreling down on them. The driver slammed on the breaks as Hulk rolled out of the way, the SUV going skidding past. The driver fought to maintain control, but failed, the vehicle swerving out of control and slamming into the guardrail. The guardrail creaked dangerously before it began to give way.

Superman quickly wrenched himself from the Hulk's grip before he rushed towards the car, just as the guardrail gave way. Superman dove over the side after the car, leaving Hulk to watch him go. As he did, he heard another screech of tires and a loud blaring horn. Looking back, Hulk saw a large tanker truck come skidding into view. The driver was slamming on the brakes but it was clear he wasn't going to stop in time.

"**Uh oh**," Hulk muttered as the truck barreled down on him. Reaching out with one of his massive hands, he grabbed the front of the truck as it slammed into him. His hand left a huge dent in the car's front, driving all the way to the engine, but Hulk was completely unharmed. The momentum caused the truck's tanker trailer to swerve around, coming up to Hulk's side. In response, Hulk merely held out his other hand to stop it. The metal buckled under his hand, rupturing the tanks. The pressure caused the pure white liquid inside to come spurting out, hitting Hulk straight in the face. Hulk grunted in irritation as he glanced up at the writing across the side on the tank.

"**Hulk hate milk,**" he grumbled.

Suddenly, a third screeching sound cut through the air. As Hulk watched, a small car came skidding around the side of the crashed truck. As it passed, Hulk could see a young woman behind the wheel, with a little girl in the back, both screaming in terror. Hulk quickly let go of the truck and turned around, just as the car reached the edge of cliff.

Meanwhile, Superman was flying back up the cliff, the SUV hoisted above his head, the occupants safe inside. Suddenly, the sound of screeching wheel caught his attention as another car flew off the side of the cliff. Superman looked at the car in horror, trying to think of a way to catch the car with his hands full.

Just then, a large green hand reached out and grabbed the bumper, the fingers digging into the metal. The car's momentum halted with a lurch. Superman flew the rest of the way up the cliff, watching with wide eyes as Hulk heaved the car up back onto solid ground. He put it down with a thud. Hulk leaned down to look inside the car.

"**Lady okay?**" he asked. The woman nodded, her face marked with a shocked expression. He turned his gaze to the little girl in the back.

"**Little girl okay?**" he questioned. The girl nodded rapidly, tears streaming down her face.

"**Good**," Hulk replied before straightening up. The woman quickly got out of the car as the little girl did too, before she leapt into her mother's arms, sobbing into her shoulder. Hulk looked at the two for a few moments before turning around, finding Superman standing right behind him, having set the SUV down.

"You saved those people," Superman observed.

"**So what?**" Hulk grunted.

"I'm sorry to say, I didn't expect it of you," Superman relented.

"**Flying Man don't know Hulk,**" Hulk growled.

"Clearly I don't," Superman replied.

"**Flying Man still want to fight Hulk? Hulk won't fight Flying Man here,**" Hulk said.

"You don't want these people to be hurt?" Superman asked. Hulk nodded in reply.

"When I first fought you, I thought you were some kind of monster with Dr. Banner trapped inside. He is in there, isn't he?" Superman questioned.

"**Puny Banner? He in Hulk's head. Won't shut up,**" Hulk grunted while pointing at his head.

"So he talks to you, which means you're some sort of alternate personality," Superman observed. Hulk shrugged in reply.

"I'm sorry that I misjudged you Hulk," Superman apologized. Hulk merely shrugged again.

"**Puny Banner says Flying Man just wants to help. He thinks Hulk will hurt people. That's why Flying Man fights Hulk,**" Hulk explained.

"That is why I've fought you, but you're not a monster," Superman agreed.

"**Soldiers don't think so,**" Hulk said.

"Ross wants to capture you, turn you into a weapon," Superman said. Hulk nodded.

"I won't let him do that to you. S.H.E.I.L.D. can help you, or I can" Superman suggested. Hulk shook his head.

"**Hulk not trust Flying Man and Banner said no S.H.E.I.L.D. Say they act nice, but just like soldiers. Just want big gun. Hulk no gun.**" Hulk leaned down, looking Superman straight in the eye. "**Banner says Flying Man too trusting. Say he get burned someday.**"

"Well, I can't force you to do something," Superman sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, "But I can let you go."

"**Really?**" Hulk questioned.

"Yes. Though know that if you do hurt innocents, I will find you again," Superman warned him.

"**Hulk not afraid of Flying Man. Hulk strongest there is,**" Hulk growled.

"We'll see," Superman replied with a smirk.

"**Hulk need to find Hulkling,**" Hulk commented as he started to leave. Superman nodded and began to follow him.

Suddenly, Hulkling came shooting out of the forest, landing hard on the milk canister, causing its contents to burst out and spill across the street. Seconds later, Wonder Woman leapt out of the forest and landed on Hulkling's stomach, causing the trailer to buckle and break and half.

Wonder Woman raised her fist to strike Hulkling down, but she was stopped as Superman grabbed her wrist.

"Stand down, Wonder Woman," he said, calmly but firmly. She gave him a questioning look but complied, stepping off Hulkling's chest. Hulkling groaned and rubbed his chest as Hulk walked over to him.

"**Hulkling okay?**" he asked.

"**Hulkling fine,**" Hulkling grunted, "**Why we stop fighting?**"

"**Flying Man let us go. They no want to fight us anymore.**"

"Is that true?" Thor asked as he descended from the sky, landing next to his friends.

"The Hulk isn't the monster I thought he is. He's some sort of alternate personality for Dr. Banner. They can apparently communicate. Hulk doesn't want to hurt people, he just wants to be left alone," Superman explained, Hulk nodding in reply.

"Why don't we take them to General Fury?" Wonder Woman questioned.

"Hulk doesn't trust them or us for that matter," Superman explained.

"Well if you're sure," Wonder Woman replied skeptically.

"I am," Superman answered, before turning to look at Hulk, "Good luck out there, Hulk."

Hulk nodded in reply, before he wordlessly turned away, leaping into the air and disappearing into the trees, Hulkling following after him.

"I wonder," Thor mused, "Who was the small one we battled? He was not there when we first encountered the Hulk."

"I think he was that boy they say Dr. Banner saved. He didn't show any powers at the facility, but it wouldn't surprise me if that was him," Superman replied.

"Do you really think it's wise to let him go?" Wonder Woman asked.

"He save these people," he answered, motioning to the mother and daughter, "He could have just ran if he was truly some uncontrollable monster. But he didn't. There's something good in him, I can tell. Besides, would you trust us if this is how we met?"

"I suppose not," Wonder Woman relented, "But what about General Fury."

"He said something about Fury being like Ross. That he played nice but he was also after the biggest gun," Superman replied.

"What do you think?" Thor asked.

"I want to trust Fury, but something about what the Hulk said makes sense. We'll have to be careful around him," Superman answered before turning to look at the destruction, "But for now, I think we should clean up here."

The others nodded as they moved to help with the accident. As Superman moved towards the SUV, his hearing picked something up, coming from the car's still playing radio.

"Sir, could you turn that up for me?" he asked the driver as he motioned his friends over.

The driver nodded and turned up the volume as the radio broadcast a news report.

"We repeat, breaking news from Metropolis," the news caster said, "A battle has broken out between some sort of electricity monster and a man who witnesses say is displaying some sort of…spider-like powers!"

Three sets of eyes widened at the news report before they all turned to look at each other.

A/N: Well, this took a bit of time to write. Sorry schools been really busy lately and I'm hardly finding any time to write. Still this was a real fun chapter to write. I felt the question of what Superman and the others are doing about the Hulk running around needed to be answered, so I wrote this chapter. As for the Hulk himself, I remembered when I last wrote him I used all caps and bold lettering. I decided the caps were a bit much but decided to keep the bold lettering to reflect his voice. In addition, as you can tell Hulk does have a bit of intelligence and isn't just a rage fueled weapon of destruction. I guess I'm writing him closer to the version of the Hulk seen in Avengers: Earth's Mightest Heroes, which is in turn more like how he was in the original comics from the 60's. Anyway, tell me what you guys think of his depiction. In addition, as guessed by Superman, Hulkling is Rick Jones in this continuity. Figured it worked better for Rick to have powers of his own from the accident and develop his own powers, to better serve as Hulk's side kick. Tell me what you guys think! Please Review! Later True Believers!


	9. Shock and Awe

**Chapter 9: Shock and Awe**

"_And then I breathed, my breath was lightning_"

-Black Elk

_October 19__th__ 2012, _

Peter had a look of wonder on his face as he walked around the main office of the Daily Planet. The people were bustling around, working hard on writing the newest story or finding the freshest piece of news. Jimmy was showing him everything, talking a mile a minute.

"Hey come over here," Jimmy said, directing him to one of the desks, "There's someone I want you to meet."

They walked over to one of the many desks, where a woman with long black hair was sitting. She smiled as she noticed them approaching.

"Hey Jimmy," she greeted as she stood from her seat, "This must be our new photographer. Peter right?"

"Yeah, Peter Parker," he replied, offering her his hand.

"I'm Lois Lane, good to meet you Peter," she replied, shaking his hand, "So is Jimmy here giving you the grand tour?"

"Yep," Jimmy replied happily, "Where's Clark?"

Lois looked over her shoulder at Clark's empty desk.

"Smallville already took off for the day with his gal pal," Lois explained.

"Gal pal?" Peter asked.

"Some new secretary. Diana is her name I think," Lois answered. Peter smirked secretly to himself.

"Anyway," she replied, dismissing the previous conversation, "You'll get to meet Smallville soon enough. So how about I help Jimmy finish your tour?"

Peter was about to reply when suddenly a loud metallic screech deafened the room. Looking up, Peter saw the televisions set flicker with static as bolts of electricity shot off them. As everyone watched in amazement, the bolts condensed into a ball of energy that floated in the middle of the room before it slowly took on a humanoid shape. The shape grabbed its head as if in pain, as electricity shot off of it. Letting out another metallic screech, the shape threw its head back as large bolts shot off, striking a few desks, shorting out computers while sending burning pieces of paper flying into the air. The reporters let out cries of alarm and fear as they ducked for cover. Seconds later, the shape shot off to the side, plowing through a window and into the city.

A hush fell over the room as everyone processed what had just happened. Slowly, Perry opened the door from his office and looked into the devastated news room.

"Great Caesar's ghost," he whispered, his eyes wide.

"Come on Jimmy!" Lois said, grabbing Jimmy's arm and dragging him along as she ran towards the stairs.

"Where are we going!" Jimmy asked.

"If that's not a story, I don't know what is!" she replied before looking at Peter, "Guess that tour's going to have to wait for another time, Peter!"

"Uh yeah," Peter replied as she disappeared around a corner, dragging Jimmy with her. A serious expression crossing his face, he turned to look where the electric figure went.

"Looks like Diana, Clark and Thor will have their hands full," Peter muttered to himself.

Suddenly, the televisions sprang back to life. Looking up at them, Peter saw something that sent a cold chill run down his spine. Though he couldn't hear it, he could see the TV was showing a news report of Superman, Wonder Woman and Thor fighting the Hulk. The news ticker read that they were somewhere in Colorado.

"Looks like they already have their hands full," Peter mused.

Turning to look where the electric man had gone, a pensive look crossed Peter's face before his eyes narrowed in determination.

_Later_

Peter swung up to the balcony of his friends' apartment. Sliding the door open, he looked around, seeing that the others had left in a hurry. He remembered that Diana had told him that she had almost finished with his new costume. If he was going to fight in public, Peter knew he was going to need it.

Turning to the kitchen, he saw it lying on the table next to a freshly carved jack-o-lantern. Picking up the mask, he examined it with a look of wonder on his face. A smile crept across his face as he looked at the rest of it.

A few moments later and Peter stood in the living room in his new uniform, the mask in his hands. Taking a deep breathe, he pulled it over his head, before flexing his fingers as he looked at his gloves.

The sound of sirens carrying through the windows caught Spider-Man's attention. Running through the open balcony door, he jumped off and dove down the side of the building. He quickly built up momentum before shooting a webline at a nearby building and swinging away across the Metropolis skyline.

Spider-Man quickly followed the sound of the sirens and the racing police cars on the streets below him as he searched for where the electric man had gone. Eventually, he started noticing signs of damage on the building and smoke rising in the distance. Increasing his pace, he soon found himself in the very heart of Metropolis' Tomorrow District.

Flashing billboards and giant televisions screens dominated a square block of the city that rivaled Times Square. At the center of it stood the electric man. His body was still as featureless as before, but Spider-Man could tell that he was very agitated. The police had completely surrounded the area, cutting off the streets, but were keeping a very safe distance from him. Spider-Man knew he had to put an end to this before someone got hurt.

Leaping off the building he was observing the situation from, Spider-Man swung into the square before hopping onto one of the electronic billboards.

"Hey Sparky!" he shouted down to the electric man. Peter smiled as he saw the man's head whip around in confusion before he looked up to where Peter was watching.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you!" Peter shouted before he hopped down and landed a few yards away from the man.

"So what's your story, Sparky?" Peter asked, "Was your mom a toaster and your dad an electrician who liked his job a little bit too much?"

The electric man snarled at the quip and held his hand in front of him. A second later, a bolt of electricity shot out of his hand. Spider-Man only had a split second to dodge, but it was all he needed. Leaping into the air, he jumped out of the way of the attack, before flipping through the air and landing a few yards away.

"Wow, that one hit a nerve," Spider-Man observed. The electric man growled again as he shot another bolt of electricity at Spider-Man, which the webslinger dodged as well.

"Come on, Sparky," Spider-Man shouted at him, "You're going to have to do better than that!"

The electric man responded by shooting another electric blast at him. Spider-Man laughed as he easily dodged it, leaping into the air again. His laughter died in his throat however, as the electric man came shooting up into the sky, a trail of electricity behind him. With a roar, he slammed an open palm into Spider-Man's chest. Spider-Man felt his whole body tense up as the electricity coursed through him. He then shot backwards with explosive force, smoke trailing from his chest. He slammed into the side of a building before slumping down to the ground.

"Ow," he said as he twitched some more. Looking up, he could see Jimmy and Lois standing at the edge of the of the police barricade.

"Are you getting this Jimmy?" Lois asked as she rapidly jotted down notes on her notepad. Jimmy nodded as he took multiple shots with his camera.

Hopping back to his feet, Spider-Man saw the electric man landing on the ground a few feet away.

"Okay, note to self. Don't touch the guy made out of electricity," Spider-Man said to himself. The electric man roared in rage again, blasting at him with a lightning bolt. Spider-Man leapt over the blast, flipping above the electric man's head and landing behind him.

"You're one psycho electro, you know that?" Spider-Man asked.

"Electro," Lois mused from the sideline, before jotting down it on her notes, "I like it."

Electro turned around and fired another bolt of electricity, forcing Spider-Man to dodge again. Landing, he fired a large glob of web at Electro. The webbing covered Electro, sticking him to the ground and wrapping him up. Electro wriggled around in the webbing trying to break free.

"Alright," Spider-Man said, giving a victorious fist bump, "Seems my webbing isn't conductive."

Suddenly, smoke began to rise from the cocoon of webbing before the whole thing burst into flame. With a roar, Electro burst from the flaming webs, sending the burning pieces scattering around him.

"Definitely flammable though!" Spider-Man shouted as he hopped backwards, "Come on, Peter. You know electricity makes heat."

Settling himself on the side of a building, he quickly spun a few lengths of webbing, wrapping them around his hands.

"Thanks to that little experiment though, I think I can even the odds," Peter said looking at his new web gloves.

Leaping off the building, he rushed at Electro. Electro quickly fired bolts at him, forcing Spider-Man to duck and weave as he approached him. Leaping over a blast, Spider-Man came crashing down on Electro, driving a punch into his chin. The blow sent Electro stumbling backwards as Spider-Man rolled forward upon hitting the ground. Springing up, Spider-Man drove his fist into Electro's stomach, causing him to double over. Spider-Man, followed up by punching him in the jaw.

As Electro stumbled back further, Spider-Man followed up by punching him twice in the face, forcing him back further. Electro managed to bring his hand up in order to blast Spider-Man, but Spider-Man managed to dodge it by leaping backwards and landing on his hands before springing back up. Landing on his feet, he hit Electro with a kidney shot before following up with two punches to the face.

As Electro continued to stumble backwards, Spider-Man rushed forward, cupping his hands together before bringing them up and smacking Electro on the chin with them. Using his momentum, Spider-Man flipped into the air, spinning around before falling and hitting him on the head with an axe handled strike

Electro fell face first against the ground, groaning in pain. As Spider-Man moved to attack him again, Electro slammed his hands against his ground, causing a wave of electricity to shoot out from his body, sending Spider-Man flying backwards. Spider-Man flipped through the air, landing on his feet and skidding across the ground, tearing away his gloves as he put his hands against the street to slow himself.

Electro slowly rose into the air, bolts of electricity shooting off of him. As he rose higher into the air, the glow from his body grew more and more intense. At the same time, the various screens began to glow brighter as they surged with electricity. Electro let out a loud yell as the screens suddenly shattered, bits of metal sent shooting into the air as bolts of electricity shot from the screens all around the square.

Spider-Man's head went crazy as his spider senses kicked in. He backflipped away, avoiding some of the bolts. Landing on his hands, he hopped up again, dodging some more. Twisting through the air, he managed to squeeze between a few more of the bolts. Snapping a hand out, he shot a webline to the walls of one of the building before yanking himself towards it, avoiding the last bolts of electricity.

Twirling around, he stuck to the side of the wall. Looking around, he tried to collect his thoughts and think of a way to beat Electro. Looking up, he saw Electro floating towards him, electricity shooting off from him. Looking down, Spider-Man saw a fire hydrant sitting right beneath him. An idea sparking in his head, he leapt down to the fire hydrant.

Spider-Man rushed towards it, but had to jump backwards as Electro shot another bolt at him. Dancing around as Electro shot at him, Spider-Man ran up to the fire hydrant gave it a hard kick, knocking it off. A geyser of water shot into the air as the broken hydrant tumbled into the street. Snagging the hydrant with his webs, Spider-Man swung it around, before hurling it at Electro. The hydrant hit Electro right in his gut, knocking him out of the air and slamming him into the ground. Spider-Man quickly leapt behind the geyser, before firing two weblines, hitting Electro in the chest.

"Hey Sparky! Do you know what happens when you toss a toaster into the bathtub?" he asked, "I do!"

Yanking hard on the lines, he pulled Electro towards him. He flew through the air before he plunged into the water geyser. Electro let out a scream of pain as the water flowed around him, causing his electricity to surge. Spider-Man jumped away as large bolts shot off of Electro. After a few moments, Electro was hurled into the air by the geyser before he came crashing down onto the hard pavement.

Electro no longer appeared to be made of electricity. He was now just a Caucasian man, completely bald and nude, with numerous scars that covered his body, including lightning bolt-like ones that seem to spread from his eyes. Even though he was human again and unconscious, small bolts of static continued to shoot of his body every few seconds.

Spider-Man walked over to where Electro lay, water raining down on him from the busted fire hydrant. Slowly, he reached out and nudged Electro with his foot. Electro groaned in response, but did nothing else.

"I won," Spider-Man said to himself, "I WON!"

He jumped into the air, letting out a whoop of joy. As he landed, he noticed the police officers and reporters quickly approaching him.

"I mean yeah, I won. Justice delivered and all that," he said, trying to seem more professional.

The police quickly ran up to the unconscious Electro, but paused as they tried to think of what to do.

"Should we slap cuffs on him?" one police man asked.

"You should be able to do that," Spider-Man spoke up, catching their attention, "As long as you keep him soggy and away from electricity, you should be good."

"Uh, thanks pal," the police officer thanked him.

"No problem," Spider-Man said with a shrug. Looking to the side, he saw a group of reporters quickly converging on him.

"Uh, sorry guys," he said, waving his hands in front of him as he turned to leave, "No comment."

"Wait!" he heard Lois shout from behind him, "At least tell us who you are."

"Me?" he asked, turning to look back at her, "I'm just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."

With that, he leapt into the air, and swung away, leaving the reporters to watch him leave as the photographers rapidly snapped pictures of him.

After he had put some good distance between him and the square, he landed on the roof of a skyscraper, taking a moment to catch his breath. Removing his mask, Peter smiled as he looked at it in his hands.

"That was quite impressive, Peter," a voice said from behind him. Peter shouted in surprise as he leapt into the air, whirling around as he came down. Superman chuckled as he floated a few feet behind him.

"Stop doing that!" Peter shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Sorry, sorry," Superman chuckled, as Wonder Woman and Thor flew down to join him.

"I trust you used my training well?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Yeah," Peter replied, "It really helped. Thanks for the suit by the way."

"It was my pleasure, Peter," Wonder Woman replied with a smile.

"So how'd that thing with a Hulk go? Did you catch him?" Peter asked.

"No Peter. We actually let him go," Superman replied.

"Let him go?" Peter asked, confused.

"We'll explain later," Superman said, as he gestured for Peter to follow him, "It's been a long day, and I think all of us want to be getting home."

Peter nodded before slipping his mask back on and jumping after his friends, swinging through the city as they flew above him.

_Later_

Peter sat in his room, laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. As he did, he heard a knock on his door. Turning, he saw Aunt May open it and peek her head in.

"Peter. Mary Jane is here to see you," she said.

"Oh, ok let her in," he replied as he sat up.

Aunt May, opened the door before letting MJ walk in past her.

"Do you two need anything to eat?" she asked.

"No we're okay. Thanks Aunt May," Peter replied.

"All right, dear. I'll leave you two alone," she said as she closed the door.

As soon as the door closed, MJ turned to Peter with an excited look on her face.

"Oh my God, I can't believe you did that!" she exclaimed.

"Keep it down!" Peter shushed her.

"Sorry, sorry," MJ apologized, "Still, I can't believe it. I saw everything on the news. You were amazing! Did Wonder Woman teach you those moves?"

"Yeah, she's been training me, like I said," Peter replied.

"That's so cool," she gushed as she sat down next to him, "I have to admit though, I got scared when that Electro guy blasted you in the chest. Are you okay?"

Slowly, Peter lifted up his shirt, revealing an angry red mark on his chest.

"Oh God," MJ whispered as she reached her hand out, "Does it hurt?"

"Only if you" Peter hissed in pain as MJ placed her hand against the wound, "touch it."

"Oh geez, I'm sorry," MJ apologized as she withdrew her hand.

"It's okay," Peter assured her as he put his shirt back down, "Superman says it should heal in a couple of days."

"That's good," she replied, before looking him in the eye, "You had me real worried for a second there Peter."

"Sorry. I guess it's kind of part of the job," Peter apologized.

"I know, just…be careful out there," she responded, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The two looked into each other's eyes for a few moments, smiling. They then realized how close they had gotten, quickly pulling away with blushes on their faces.

"So um…would you like to see my costume?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Sure, I'd like that," she answered with a smile.

_Meanwhile_

"Alright, Electro. Get up," a guard said as he opened the door to the maximum security door. The cell was windowless and lightless, made of concrete blocks. The cell was also completely wet, due to the sprinkler being turned on every few minutes. Electro sat on the bench on the opposite side of the door, wearing a prisoners uniform with his wrists shackled.

"I told you," Electro said in a wheezy voice, "Don't call me that."

"Whatever freak," the guard responded, "Looks like we're moving you."

"Moving me?" Electro asked, "Where?"

"They want to bring you to a place where they can study you. Someone paid big bucks to get a look at you," the guard explained.

"Who?" Electro asked.

"My employer," a female voice said as a woman walked into view, "My name is Mercy and my employer is very interested in meeting you."

A/N: Nice little action chapter here, hope you guys enjoyed it. Please review! Later True Believers!


	10. Welcome to Lexcorp

**Chapter 10: Welcome to Lexcorp.**

_And while the law of competition may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures the survival of the fittest in every department._

**-**Andrew Carnegie

_October 20__th__, 2012_

Bright lights flashed into the darkness, waking Electro from his sleep. Groggily he looked around. The lights were powerful and directly focused on him. Blinking, he tried to make sense of where he was, but all he could see was darkness at the edge of the lights. Looking down at himself, he saw he was chained by his wrists and ankles to a wooden chair, itself bolted to the concrete floor.

Pulling against his bonds, he fought to break free of them. He growled as he struggled, causing small bolts of electricity to shoot from his fingers and his eyes to glow.

"Now, now, Mr. Dillon," a smooth voice said from the shadows, "There's no need for that."

"Who's there?" Electro demanded.

In response to the question, a man stepped out of the shadows and into the light. He was a Caucasian man in his thirties, with a completely bald head and emerald green eyes. He had an athletic physique which was mostly covered by the immaculate black suit he wore, complete with a blood red tie.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he said as he straightened his jacket, "Alexander Luthor, but my friends call me Lex."

"Lex Luthor?" Electro asked, surprised, "What's a hot shot like you want with a shmuck like me."

"You sell yourself short, Mr. Dillon," Lex answered, as he began to circle around Electro, "You're a very special individual. So tell me, how did you come by these gifts of yours?"

"I-I don't really know," Electro admitted, "It's all kind of jumbled in my head. I remember working on a power line when it suddenly felt like I was struck by lightning. Then it's all just a blur. I remember seeing a lot of static, like on a TV and what looked like the insides of wires. Then I was suddenly in some office building and then in the Tomorrow District. Then some guy in a red and blue leotard is punching me and there's this bright flash of light. Next thing I know, I'm chained up in some jail cell, soaking wet and everyone is calling me Electro. That's all I remember, along with feeling really confused and scared."

"No doubt an effect of your traumatic transformation," Lex commented as he nodded in understanding.

"So why am I here?" Electro asked.

"I have paid your bail, as it were," Lex explained, "You have been handed over to my custody so that we can study your powers and better understand them."

"Isn't this something for the government to do?" Electro questioned, "Like S.H.I.E.L.D. or something?"

"Normally they would, but since the accident at the main STARS lab and with Oscorp in ruins, we're the best equipped for the job," Lex elaborated.

"So what do you plan on doing with me?" Electro asked, a slight tone of fear in his voice.

"Nothing to invasive," Lex said to calm him, "We just need to know what makes you tick."

"I guess I don't have much say in this, do I?" Electro questioned.

"Not really," Lex relented.

"All right, let's hurry up and get these tests over with then," Electro said with a sigh.

"Don't be so glum, Mr. Dillon," Lex said with a smile, "Who knows, you might learn something about yourself."

_Later_

Electro was led along the immaculate white corridors of the Lexcorp laboratories. Flanking him were Lexcorp guards, dressed in black body armor and armed with high powered rifles. Lex stood at the front of the group, leading them past the different laboratories. Eventually, they came to a pair of locked double doors at the end of one of the long hallways. Lex placed his hand against a scanner next to the door, before placing his eye against a retinal scanner, both of which confirmed his identity. The doors opened with a click, before Lex led them in.

Inside was a large lab, with numerous devices used to measure and experiment upon a wide variety of things. The lab was immaculately clean and illuminated by bright fluorescent lights. Standing near one of the machines was an extremely short man. He had wild black hair along with a goatee and a mustache. He wore a short lab coat over a black turtle neck and brown pants.

"How goes the work, Dr. Cizko?" Lex asked as he walked over to the diminutive scientist.

"Fascinating, Mr. Luthor, simply fascinating," Cizko replied as he looked into one of the machines. It was a large, clear box, with a number of lights and detecting equipment hooked up to it. Inside was a small pile of sand, which seemed to be moving around on its own accord.

"Any luck with the sample?" Lex questioned.

"Oh we've made remarkable strides, Mr. Luthor," Cizko said excitedly, "We've finally managed to crack its genetic code. I think we're close to being able to replicate it's abilities in another person."

"Good. I believe Mercy had found a willing candidate for such a procedure. For now though, I have something else for you to work on," Lex said as he turned Dr. Cizko around.

"Ah!" the doctor said as he saw Electro, his eyes lighting up with excitement, "So you've manage to obtain the mysterious Electro!"

"Don't call me that," Electro growled down at the shorter man.

"Oh, my apologizes," Cizko said nervously, "Mr…."

"Dillon," Lex provided.

"Dillon. Mr. Dillon then," Cizko finished as he began to circle Electro, looking him up and down.

"Wonderful," he said excitedly, "Simply wonderful!"

"You're kind of creeping me out, Doc," Electro said as he watched the little man circle him.

"The doctor gets excited about these sorts of things," Lex explained.

"Why shouldn't I?" Cizko asked as he stopped his circling, "Alright Mr. Dillon. Let's start some experiments and see what you can really do!"

_Later_

Electro stood in a large, padded room, lit by fluorescent lights. He stood at one end of the room. At the other end sat a large mechanical device with a lightning rod like apparatus sticking out it towards him.

"Alright, Mr. Dillon," Cizko's voice came over the loud speaker as he observed the room through a safety glass window on the wall to Electro's side, "Please strike the machine with a bolt, if you will."

"Whatever you say, Doc," Electro replied with a shrug, before raising his hand. He concentrated for a few moments as sparks lit up his hand. A moment later and a bolt of electricity shot out of his hand and struck the machine.

"Hmm, impressive," he heard the doctor say, "Though nowhere near the power you were reported to have put off in the Tomorrow District."

"I'm feeling a little drained, Doc," Electro explained.

"I see, well I suppose now would be an excellent time to test your absorption abilities," Cizko mused.

_Later_

"I'm not so sure about this, Doc," Electro said with a hint of fear from within the test chamber. He was currently standing in a room much like the first one, only this time, four large pylons hung from the ceiling, each humming and crackling with power.

"You have nothing to fear, Mr. Dillon. It is my hypothesis that your body has adapted to absorbing and storing electrical energy. We're here to see just how much you can take. Then we can see how much you can dish back out," Cizko explained.

"Hypothesis?" Electro asked, "Isn't that just kind of like a guess?"

"No, my friend. It is a guess with science!" he exclaimed as he pushed a large button on the control panel in front of him. As he did, the machine began to him hum louder and glow with power. A second later, four bolts of electricity shot out and hit Electro at the same time.

Electro let out a cry of surprise as he doubled over. After a few moments though he adjusted to the power and stood straight up. He grinned from ear to ear as electricity surged over his body. Slowly, his scars began to glow along with his eyes.

"You're approaching jigawatts worth of power Mr. Dillon!" Cizko announced excitedly.

Electro laughed as his powers surged around him. As he absorbed more power, his skin began to glow as his clothes began to smoke.

"1 jigawatt!" Cizko announced.

Suddenly, Electro let out a cry as he burst with electricity, bolts shooting off of him as his clothes were shredded. As he did, the lights suddenly went out in the lab, he only illumination coming from Electro's now glowing body.

"1.21 jigawatts!" Cizko exclaimed as he hopped up onto his chair throwing his hands into the air.

At this point the lights turned back on as the emergency generator kicked in. Electro laughed as he observed his once again, fully powered body.

"How'd you like that, Doc?" he asked as he flexed his hands, causing sparks to shoot off.

"Wonderful, Mr. Dillon," Cizko exclaimed, "Simply wonderful!"

"What's going on here!" a voice demanded as the door to the observation chamber was opened. In stepped a man in his mid-thirties. He had short, finely combed brown hair and a pencil thin mustache to match. He possessed dark brown eyes and had a rather thin build. He wore a white lab coat over a white button up shirt, brown pants and brown shoes, with a red tie to round out the ensemble.

Behind him was a woman. She appeared the same age, with short blond hair, blue eyes and a slim frame. She also wore a lab coat over her white blouse, black skirt and black, high heeled shoes along with a string of pearls around her neck.

"Hello Dr. Morrow, Dr. Cale!" Cizko greeted them, excitedly, "I was just performing a fascinating experiment!"

"An experiment that just knocked out all my machines, you little imbecile!" Morrow shouted.

"Not just your machines. He knocked out the entire building!" Cale added.

"Apologizes, my colleagues," Cizko said, "but if you would look into the chamber, you will see for yourselves what my experiment has discovered!"

The other two turned to look through the window, only just then noticing Electro standing inside.

"My God," Cale whispered, "Is that a man?"

"Not just any man. That's that electric man that attacked the city yesterday," Morrow observed.

"How did Mr. Luthor get his hands on him?" Cale asked.

"I pulled a few strings," they heard Lex say behind them. Whirling around, they found him standing in the shadows just behind him, Mercy at his side.

"I see your experiments are going well, Dr. Cizko," Lex commented, smiling at the diminutive doctor.

"Indeed, Mr. Luthor. Though I apologize for the power loss," Cizko replied.

"No matter, our backup generators kicked in quick enough," Lex said.

"So, what have you found, Dr. Cizko?" Lex asked, turning his gaze back to the doctor.

"His energy absorption abilities are greater than we could have possibly imagined. He absorbed 1.21 jigawatts without any visible strain on his part. I dare believe he could have absorbed more," Cizko explained with an excited voice.

"This is very good, Doctor. I'm impressed," Lex complimented, patting Cizko on the shoulder before making his way to the control panel.

"Can anyone hear me!" he heard Electro call, his voice oddly distorted and synthesized now.

"Yes, we can hear you, Mr. Dillon," Lex answered, turning the comm system back on.

"That you, Mr. Luthor?" Electro asked.

"Yes it's me," Lex replied, "You seem a bit different then last I saw you."

"What can I say?" Electro said with a laugh, "Doc's been feeding me a good diet."

"So you think you can show us some more tricks now that you've recharged your batteries?" Lex asked.

"Sure thing, Mr. Luthor," Electro replied with a smirk

_Later_

Electro now stood in another test chamber, similar to the ones that had come before it. This time he was surrounded by multiple versions of the machine from the first test.

"All right, Mr. Dillon," Luthor said from the observation room, "Show us what you can do."

"You got it, Mr. Luthor," Electro called back.

Concentrating, his body began to glow more brightly as sparks shot off of him. Suddenly, he gave a loud shout as he rose into the air before a literal lightning storm shot off of him, striking targets all across the room with tremendous force and power. He continued to do this for a few seconds, obscured from view by the light show he was putting off. Then just as suddenly as it had begun, it ended. Oddly, Electro was no longer in the same spot he had been before, but was on the other side of the room. Raising an eyebrow, Lex looked at Cizko with a questioning look.

"When did he move?" Lex asked.

"I'm not sure, sir," Cizko replied, confused himself.

"Mr. Dillon," Lex said over the intercom, "Why did you move?"

Looking around, Electro was surprised to see that he was now on the other side of the room.

"I didn't know I did," Electro replied with a confused tone.

"Hmm," Lex said, putting a finger to his chin, "I think there might be more to Mr. Dillon's powers then we originally suspected."

"I'll run some more tests," Cizko stated.

"Very well. Keep up the good work, Doctor," Lex said before turning and leaving.

_Later_

Lex sat in his office, observing the Metropolis skyline from his window. As he did, the door opened and Mercy walked in.

"What do you have, Mercy?" Lex asked not turning around

"Dr. Cizko says he has been making great strides in understanding how Dillon's powers work," she reported.

"Can he recreate them?" he questioned turning to face her.

"Not yet, but he's sure that given time, he can figure it out." Mercy explained.

"Good, work on finding a subject for him for when he does," Lex instructed.

"Creating your own superhuman army?" Mercy asked.

"The world is changing, Mercy. Much faster than even I was prepared for," Lex explained, "The fallout from the sabotage of Osborn was one thing. But then these so called heroes have started showing up."

"You mean Superman, Wonder Woman and Thor?" she asked.

"Yes. All evidence seems to indicate they showed up that night, which means they couldn't have been created by this so called Big Bang," Lex explained, "I have to learn where they came from, where they got their powers."

"Wasn't there a Wonder Woman who fought in World War Two?" Mercy provided.

"There was, but no one knows what happened to her. If the two are related, it doesn't help figure out how her powers work," Lex explained.

"So what do you plan to do?" Mercy asked.

"Well," he began as he walked to his desk and turned on his computer, "Though the three heroes don't seem to have any connection to the Big Bang, I think our city's newest do gooder does."

Turning the monitor of his computer around, he revealed a number of pictures of Spider-Man from his battle with Electro.

"I think we'll have to start looking into this "Spider-Man"," Lex stated, a serious expression on his face.

A/N: So, some insight into what's happening at Lexcorp and what Lex's plans might be. A bit of filler chapter I know, but I hope you guys will appreciate the hint of things to come. Please review! Later, True Believers!


	11. Gifted Youngsters

**Chapter 11: Gifted Youngsters**

_Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing._

-Benjamin Franklin

_October 25__th__, 2012_

Mary Jane sat alone on one of the school's outdoor benches. The cool wind played with her long red hair as she read from the book in her lap. The courtyard was mostly deserted, the steadily cooling weather driving the students indoors. MJ had decided to use the courtyard as a quite area to catch up on her reading.

"Hey girl!" a voice called out to her. Looking up, MJ smiled as her best friend, Gwen, approached.

"Hey," she replied, closing her book.

"How's it going?" Gwen asked as she sat down.

"Pretty good, just catching up on some reading," MJ answered, motioning towards her book.

"So," Gwen began, sitting down next to MJ, "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What's that?" MJ asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I and some of the others have noticed that you've been spending a lot more time with Peter lately," she mentioned, not making eye contact with MJ.

"Yeah so?" MJ questioned.

"Well, you guys just seemed to be closer than usual, that's all," Gwen explained, "I just thought something might be up."

"Look Gwen, I've been Peter's friend like forever, and I know his uncle's death along with everything else has hit him pretty hard. I'm just trying to be there for him, you know?" MJ explained.

"I understand, I'm just wondering if there isn't something more going on," Gwen stated.

"What do you mean?" MJ asked.

"I think you know what I mean," Gwen replied suggestively.

"There's nothing going on!" MJ exclaimed, a blush covering her face, "We're just friends!"

"If you say so," Gwen said, shrugging, a smirk still on her face.

"You girls talking about me again?" a new voice said.

Looking up, Gwen and MJ saw a young man leaning against a wall. He had short, spikey blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a brown leather jacket over a red t-shirt and jeans. A pair of white sneakers and aviator glasses completed the look. He smirked at the two girls as they looked at him.

"Johnny Storm!" MJ exclaimed, smiling at him as he stood up, "Always have to be the center of attention, huh?"

"What can I say, MJ?" he asked, smiling cockily as he pushed himself off the wall, "It's a curse."

"It's good to see you, Johnny," Gwen said as she gave him a hug, "How have you been?"

"Somehow better and worse than I've ever been at the same time," Johnny stated with a shrug.

"What do you mean?" MJ asked.

"Well, I'm now stuck in a giant lab in New York with no one to hang out with but my sister, her husband and a grumpy pile of rocks," he explained, before smirking, "On the other hand, I can do this."

Holding out his hand, he snapped his fingers causing a small tongue of fire to appear on his fingertips.

"Whoa!" Gwen shouted jumping back, "How'd you do that?"

"Unstable particles or something like that," Johnny replied, shrugging his shoulders as he shook his hand, dispelling the flames, "I don't really understand the science mumbo jumbo behind it."

"Wow, that's pretty crazy Johnny," MJ said, shaking her head in bewilderment.

"Yeah it is," Johnny admitted, "but enough about me. How have you guys been, I've heard some crazy stuff went down while I was away."

"You could say that," Gwen replied with a chuckle.

"Yeah, heard that some of the guys were mutants now?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, they go to a school upstate now," MJ explained.

"Thought so. That's part of the reason I swung by," Johnny replied, "I was wondering if you and the other guys wanted to go pay them a visit? I called ahead already and they seemed down with it."

"That'd be great!" Gwen exclaimed. MJ however was immediately suspicious.

"How do you plan on doing that?" she asked.

"I have my ways," Johnny replied, flashing a smile, "So gather up all the guys and meet me here in about an hour."

"Sounds great," Gwen said before she grabbed MJ's hand and pulled her towards the school.

_Later_

MJ and Gwen stood outside the school, accompanied by Peter, Eddie and Jimmy. As they waited, Evan's friends Hobbie and Robbie rolled up to them on their skateboards.

"Hey, guys what's happening?" Hobbie asked as he hopped off his skateboard and flipped it into his hand.

"Not much, Hobbie," Peter replied, turning to greet them, "We haven't seen you guys around in a while."

"Things have been different since the Big Bang went down and Evan left," Robbie explained as he hopped off his board as well.

"Yeah, a lot of stuff has changed," Eddie agreed, "The Big Bang, and then the heroes show up and it seems some monsters show up every other week. Still I'm not complaining about the heroes though. Especially that chick, Wonder Woman."

"Eddie!" Gwen exclaimed, elbowing him in the stomach.

"Sorry, sorry," Eddie apologized, rubbing his side.

"I like Superman myself," Jimmy spoke up.

"Forget them," Hobbie said, "What about that Spider-Man guy?"

"What about him?" Peter asked.

"Did you see him take on that Electro guy, all by himself?" Hobbie asked, "He doesn't have any of the powers the other three have, hell he's like half their size, and he still took Electro down. Guy's hardcore."

"Hobbie here's got a bit of a man crush," Robbie teased, giving Hobbie a slight shove.

"Hey shut up man," Hobbie replied shoving back.

"Hey there's no problem with that," MJ spoke up, "I think Spider-Man's pretty awesome too."

Peter glanced over at her, smirking. MJ gave him a knowing smile before winking at him in return.

"So where's Johnny?" Eddie asked, looking around.

"I'm not sure, he said to meet him out here," Gwen explained looking around for him.

"Um, guys?" Peter said, attracting their attention, as he looked up into the sky, "I think I found him."

The others followed his gaze and gasped at what they saw. Quickly descending towards them was something out of a science fiction novel. Looking like a cross between a jet and a spaceship, the vehicle was white and blue in color with a streamlined appearance and large jet engines coming from behind it. The jet descended with vertical thrust engines, coming to a stop on the city street, resting on its landing gear. A minute later and a door opened up on the side, revealing Johnny within.

"Hey guys," he greeted with a cheeky smile, "Long time, no see."

"Johnny, what the hell is this!" Peter exclaimed, gesturing to the jet.

"This?" Johnny asked, looking at the jet, "This is the Fantasicar."

"The Fantasticar?" Eddie asked with a doubtful expression, "This doesn't look like any car I've ever seen."

"You've never seen a car designed by Dr. Reed Richards," Johnny replied as he looked over the crowd, "Where's Harry?"

"He couldn't come," Jimmy explained, "He's taking care of his dad, who's still in a coma."

"Oh, that sucks," Johnny said, running his hand through his hair, "Well, is everyone here then?"

The others nodded in response.

"Alright, then come aboard!" Johnny said, before stepping back and motioning them to come inside. The kids followed hesitantly, stepping into the Fantasticar. Looking around, they saw the Fantasticar was laid out like a small private jet. Numerous instruments surrounded the multiple seats, each with various buttons and read outs. Each of them took a seat, buckling themselves in. Johnny motioned Peter to follow him to the cockpit before gesturing to the second seat.

"This is so cool, Johnny!" Peter exclaimed as he sat down in the co-pilot seat.

"I knew a science whiz would get a kick out of it, Pete," Johnny replied as he sat down and began flipping some switches.

"So you know how to fly this thing?" Peter asked.

"Of course, how do you think I got it here?" Johnny asked, as he buckled himself in.

"So you're allowed to fly this, right?" Peter asked. Getting no response, he turned and looked at Johnny, who was now wearing a large pair of aviator headphones.

"Johnny!" he said, tapping him on the shoulder, "You are allowed to fly this, right?"

"What!" Johnny yelled back, "Pete, I can't hear you with the headphones on! You better buckle up, we're about to take off!"

"Johnny!" Peter said with a warning tone. Johnny turned back to look out the front window, a smile on his face as he grabbed onto the Fantasticar's throttle.

"JOHNNY!" Peter shouted as the jet shot into the air before taking off over the city, the roar of the engines barely covering Johnny's cries of excitement and joy.

_Later_

The Fantasticar flew over the countryside, clouds drifting past as it shot through the sky. Slowly the jet began to descend back towards earth, the clouds parting around it.

"Alright guys, looks like we're getting close," Johnny said, "Going to land in that nice big field they got back there."

The Fantasticar passed over a large stately mansion, surrounded mostly by forests and fields. It slowly descended and landed behind the mansion, a few yards from its large swimming pool. As it landed, a group of people gathered around it.

Johnny hopped out of the pilot's seat as he powered the jet down, patting Peter on the shoulder as he walked by. Opening the hatch, he looked down at the group of people gathered next to the Fantasticar. Johnny's smile grew as he saw Virgil, Ritchie and Evan standing before him.

"Hey guys," he greeted as he made his way down the stairs, "long time, no see!"

"Hey Johnny," Virgil replied, pulling Johnny into a hug, "How's it been going?"

"Crazy," Johnny said with a laugh.

"Same here," Ritchie spoke up with a chuckle.

As they spoke, the others exited the jet, walking down to greet their friends.

"Hey dude," Robbie greeted Evan as they pounded fists, "How's it hanging?"

"Pretty good, man," Evan replied as he greeted Hobbie with the same gesture, "They don't have a half-pipe around here though."

"Bummer dude," Robbie sympathized.

"So where's Gar?" Johnny asked, looking around.

"I'm here Johnny," Gar said, catching Johnny's attention.

Johnny's eyes widened in surprise as he caught sight of the new Gar. There was an awkward silence as everyone wait for Johnny to say something. After a moment, Johnny's trademark grin spread across his face again.

"Green's a good color for you, Gar," Johnny said, before reaching out and rubbing the shorter boy's hair affectionately. Gar smiled back at him, chuckling with relief.

"Hey, here comes the Prof," Evan said, motioning towards the three individuals making their way from the mansion towards them.

One was Gar's uncle Hank, who was pushing a man in a wheelchair. The man appeared to be in his late forties with a bald head and brown eyes. He wore a brown blazer over a black turtle neck and brown pants.

Next to him walked a woman in her early thirties. She was of African descent, which contrasted with her short, wind-swept, white hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a purple blouse and a brown skirt.

"Hey, Auntie O, Prof X!" Virgil greeted the woman as they approached, "Here to meet our friends?"

"Indeed we are Virgil," the bald man said with a smile, before turning to the group, "Greetings. I am Professor Charles Xavier and this is my Institute."

"It's good to meet you, Professor," Peter replied, as he stepped forward to shake the Professor's hand, "I'm-"

"Peter Parker," Xavier provided, shaking the now surprised boy's hand, "You're here with your friends Johnny Storm, Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy, Eddie Brock, Jimmy Olson, Robert Farrell and Hobbie Brown."

"I guess Virgil told you about us," Peter guessed.

"We didn't Pete," Virgil replied, "Prof X here is a telepath. He can read people's minds."

"Whoa," Jimmy spoke up, his eyes wide with amazement.

"Read minds?" Peter asked nervously.

"Yes, but you needn't worry, Peter," Xavier said calmly, "That was a simple parlor trick I like to use. I normally view such liberal use of telepathy to be an invasion of privacy, so you do not have to worry about me rummaging through you mind."

"Uh, thanks," Peter replied, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"So you're Peter?" Ororo asked as she looked at him, a light African accent in her voice "Your friends have told me a lot about you."

"Virgil told us about you too," MJ said as she stepped forward, "I'm Mary Jane."

"It's good to meet you too," she said with a smile, "It's good to meet all of you."

"Should we show them around?" Hank asked.

"Perhaps we should let our nephews do that, Hank," Ororo suggested, laying a hand on Hank's shoulder.

"Ah, yes," Hank replied with a smile, "That's probably a better idea."

"Come on guys," Gar said as he motioned for the group to follow him, "We'll show you around."

Leading them towards the mansion, the group passed through the recreational area behind the mansion grounds, consisting of a baseball field, a soccer field, a pool, a basketball court and a tennis court. As they did, they saw a group of boys playing a game of two-on-two basketball on the court.

One boy was Caucasian and roughly sixteen years old, with wavy brown hair and an athletic build. He wore a white t-shirt and black shorts with white sneakers. His most noticeable feature though was the red sunglasses he wore that completely concealed his eyes. Another boy was shorter than the first and a few years younger, though he also had an athletic build. He had short brown hair and blue eyes while wearing a blue t-shirt, and black shorts.

The two of them were playing against two other boys. One was a tall as the first boy, with long brown hair tied into a short ponytail. His eyes stood out, being red with black irises. He wore a black t-shirt and a pair of blue gym shorts. Alongside him was another boy, who stood over a head taller than the others with short black hair and brown eyes. He wore a white tank top and black shorts over his massive, muscular figure.

The red eyed boy threw the ball to the tall one, who quickly lumbered up to the hoop and tossed it in.

"Hold it! Hold it!" the boy in sunglasses said, waving his hands in the air, "Piotr, we told you. You have to bounce the ball when you move."

"_Izvinite_, comrades," Piotr apologized, scratching the back of his head, as he picked up the ball "I am always forgetting."

"Hey guys!" Gar called out to them, catching their attention, "What's up?"

"Hey Gar," the boy with glasses said as he nodded towards Gar, "Are these your friends?"

"Yeah, come over and meet them," Gar suggested.

"Hey, I'm Scott Summers," the boy with glasses introduced himself.

"I'm Bobby Drake," the short boy said.

"_Privet_, I'm Piotr Rasputin," the large boy announced.

"_Bonjour, _ye can call me Remy Lebeau," the red eyed boy responded.

The others introduced themselves to the four boys.

"So I saw you arrive in that fancy jet," Scott commented, "Where did you guys get that?"

"That's the Fantasticar," Johnny exclaimed, a proud smile spreading across his face, "I got that courtesy of my brother-in-law, Reed Richards."

"Fantasticar?" Piotr asked, "I am not being familiar with this word."

"That's because Johnny here made it up," Eddie said, elbowing Johnny in the side.

"Hey, I thought it was a cool name," Johnny said defensively.

"Well, we should let you guys get on with your tour," Scott said.

"Sure, see you later Shades," Virgil said as he led the group away.

"Later," Scott replied, before he turned around and stole the ball from Piotr and laid it into the hoop.

Leaving the court, the group walked up to the mansion, walking up onto a patio before entering the building through a large glass door. They walked through the long, hard wood hallways, eventually coming to a living room.

The room was large, like the other rooms in the Institute. A rich carpet covered the room, lit by numerous lighting fixtures spread across the room. Various plush couches and chairs were spread around the room, all circling the large flat screen television bolted to the wall on the other side of the room.

Four girls sat around the room, either watching television or reading. One girl sitting on a couch had long red hair that cascaded down past her shoulder and vibrant green eyes. She wore a long sleeve yellow shirt and a pair of form fitting jeans along with a pair of sandals. On the other side of the couch sat a slightly younger girl, with brown eyes and long brown hair tied into a ponytail. She wore a light pink sweatshirt over a white t-shirt along with a pair of jeans and white sneakers. She wore a Star of David necklace as well.

The third girl sat in one of the arm chairs, reading a book. She had brown eyes and long brown hair with a distinctive white stripe running through it, which she wore in a long ponytail. She wore a green t-shirt over a black, long sleeve shirt. She also wore a pair of black pants along with black leather boots as well as a thin purple scarf and a pair of black leather gloves. The last girl sat in another armchair, and had the most distinctive look due to the fact her skin was silver in color and had a metallic sheen to it. She had long auburn hair also in a ponytail while her eyes were pure white with no pupils or irises. She wore a white tank top under a blue button up shirt and a pair of white pants and white sneakers.

The brunette looked up as they entered the room and smiled.

"Hey guys," she greeted cheerfully.

"Hey Kitty," Gar replied, "Our friends from Metropolis are visiting and we're giving them the grand tour."

"Oh cool," she said, perking up, "I'm like Kitty Pryde."

"I'm Jean Grey," the red head said, sitting up and smiling.

"Ah'm Rogue," the brown and white haired girl introduced herself, looking up from her book.

"I'm Cessily Dibny," the silver girl stated.

The others introduced themselves. As they did, Johnny slid in between Jean and Kitty, a wry smile on his face.

"Hey," he said, smiling at Jean before looking at Kitty, "Johnny Storm. How's it going?"

The girls looked at each other and chuckling before getting up and walking away. Johnny looked at them with confusion, before rolling his eyes as his friends laughed at him. Kitty walked up to Gar's side, still chuckling.

"Your friend always like that?" she whispered, folding her hands behind her back.

"Always," Gar replied with a laugh.

"Mind if I join you on your tour?" she asked, rocking on the balls of her feet.

"Sure," Gar agreed.

As they talked, a man walked into the living room from another door. He was tall and skinny, with a mop of blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a red button up shirt and grey pants.

"Wow, what have we here?" the man asked.

"Oh hey, Mr. D," Evan greeted the man, "Our friends came to visit and we were showing them around."

"Alright," he said, "Well, I'm Ralph Dibny, one of the instructors here. I see you've met my daughter, Cessily. I hope you guys enjoy your tour," he turned to his daughter, "Cess, your mother wants to see you."

Cessily nodded and slid out of the chair, exiting the room with her father. As they left, Gar turned to his friends.

"Alright, where to next?" he asked.

"Why not the kitchen?" Ritchie suggested. The others agreed and they began making their way through the mansion again.

"Hey, Kitty," Gwen spoke up as they walked, "Do you mind if I ask what your power is?"

"Sure!" she said happily, "I can phase through solid objects."

"Wow, like walk through walls and stuff?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah" she said with a shrug, "It's not as flashy as some of the other guys' powers."

"Come on Kitty, your powers are plenty cool," Gar defended.

"Thanks," she replied, smiling at him. Gar smiled back at her, scratching the back of his head. Gwen glanced at MJ as Kitty and Gar continued talking. MJ shrugged while smirking at Gwen.

After a few moments, they arrived in the kitchen. Like the rest of the mansion, it was rather large. It had a number of state of the art appliances, along with hardwood cabinets. A marble top island sat in the middle of the kitchen, serving as an area to prepare food.

As they entered the room, the door to the large refrigerator was open. There were three people in the room. One was obscured by the fridge door. The person was quickly handing various items to a young man standing behind him. The man was tall and athletic, dressed in a black turtleneck, jeans and black shoes. He had short, wavy blond hair, blue eyes and handsome features. The most noticeable feature he had though, were the large, white, feathered wings growing out of his back, sticking through holes in the back of his shirt.

Next to him, sitting on the countertop and eating a bowl of ice cream, was an Asian girl. She had short, spikey black hair and brown eyes. She wore a yellow jacket over a black tank top that left her midriff exposed along with a pair of ripped jeans, a studded leather belt, black, fingerless gloves and a pair of brown boots. The girl looked up as the group entered.

"Hey guys," she greeted, her mouth full of ice cream, "What's up?"

"Showing our friends around," Ritchie explained.

"Cool," she said, nodding to the others, "I'm Jubilation Lee but everyone calls me Jubilee"

The boy looked up, smiling as he saw the group.

"Well hello there," he said flashing a smile.

As he flashed a smile, both Gwen and MJ blushed slightly while a smile spread across Gwen's face. She quickly stepped forward while offering him her hand.

"Hi, I'm Gwen Stacy," she greeted.

"Warren Worthington," he replied, chuckling as he shook her hand.

MJ looked over to her side at Eddie, grimacing as she saw him glaring at Warren.

"Varren," a voice with a German accent asked, "Vho's zhere?"

A head peaked out from behind the door, causing Gwen to shriek in surprise and alarm. The person behind the door was a young boy. He had dark, spikey black hair with yellow eyes. He had blue skin, with pointed ears and teeth. His hands only had two large fingers and thumb while his bare feet had only two toes. A skinny, spaded tail swung behind him. He wore an open plaid, button up shirt over a white t-shirt and a brown pair of cargo pants.

"Oh!" he said in surprise, "Sorry"

"No no," Gwen apologized, "I'm sorry. It's just…you startled me."

"Don't vorry," the boy said, waving his hand dismissively, "I'm used to having zhat…effect on people."

"I'm Kurt Wagner," he said, holding out his hand.

Gwen took it and shook it, giving him a small smile.

"So you are all Gar, Virgil, Evan and Ritchie's friends?" Warren asked.

"Yeah," Johnny replied as they introduced themselves.

"So you guys hungry?" Jubilee asked, "Kurt here is making the mother of all sandwiches."

"We should probably finish the tour first," Virgil said.

"We should show them the basement!" Evan exclaimed.

"Are we like, allowed to?" Kitty asked.

"Prof didn't say we couldn't" Virgil pointed out, smiling slyly before turning to the others, "Want to see something cool?"

Virgil and the others led the group out of the kitchen and down the hallway. The eventually came to what looked like an elevator door, painted the same color as the wood walls around it. As the approached it, the doors opened, revealing a man standing there.

His head and hands were covered with white bandages with two holes around his eyes so he could see. He wore a black jacket over a grey sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, obscuring his features. He also wore a pair of old jeans along with black boots.

"Oh, like hey Mr. Trainor," Kitty greeted nervously.

"What are you all doing here?" he asked bluntly.

"Um, we were just showing our friends around," Gar explained.

The man looked at them all for a few seconds before sighing.

"Whatever, I don't care," he said as he pushed his way past the group, "Just don't kill yourselves. Though I have no doubt you'll try."

"Who was that?" Peter asked as the man disappeared around the corner.

"That was Mr. Trainor," Kitty explained, "He's another one of the instructors."

"Is he like the invisible man or something?" Eddie asked.

"No," Kitty answered, "His power is like, this kind of negative energy soul…thing. He like, needs the bandages to keep it inside or it will like, get out and he will like, die if it's out for to long."

"Wow, that stinks," Jimmy commented.

"Why else do you think he's so grumpy?" Virgil asked.

"Well come on," Ritchie said as he stepped into the elevator, "it's a bit of a squeeze but I think we can make it."

The group piled into the elevator before the doors closed and they descended into the lower levels of the Institute. When the doors next opened, it led to a long metallic hallway lit by fluorescent lights.

"Whoa," Jimmy whispered, "This looks like some sort of military base."

"Reminds me of STAR Labs," Johnny commented.

They stepped out, walking down the hall. They eventually came to a large metal door, which Ritchie quickly opened by inputting a code into the keypad next to the door. The door slid open, revealing a large room filled with computers and related equipment. The room was lit only by the light from the various screens. Three rolling chairs sat in the room, two empty but one occupied.

The person sitting in the chair was a man, roughly the same age as the other instructors. He had dark colored skin, with black hair, brown eyes and a small goatee. He wore a rusted red t-shirt and baggy black cargo pants along with a red headband and black boots. His most noticeable feature though was the mechanical hand he had replacing his right hand. As he heard the door open, he turned his chair around to face the door and smiled at his new arrivals.

"Hey, Ritchie, Kitty!" he exclaimed happily, "My two favorite students. And you've brought guests!"

"Hey Forge," Kitty and Ritchie said simultaneously, before they walked in and slid into the two empty chairs and rolled up to the two free terminals.

"What is this place?" Peter asked, looking around in wonder.

"Ah, I see a man with an eye for tech," Forge chuckled, pointing his mechanical hand at Peter.

"I'm more of a biology and chemistry guy myself," Peter admitted, "But yeah, I know good tech when I see it."

"Are you kidding?" Robbie spoke up, "This is amazing tech. Where did you get it?"

"The Professor's pockets are pretty deep," Forge commented, before turning to Evan, "You didn't tell me one of your friends was a tech head."

"We, Robbie's more mechanic then tech guy, but he knows his stuff," Evan explained, slinging his arm over his friend's shoulder.

"What is this place?" Jimmy asked.

"Well this is the Institute's computer hub," Forge explained, "The nerve center of the entire Institute."

"Wow, Kitty," MJ said as she looked over the girl's shoulder as she did a few things on the computer, "No offence, I didn't think you would be a computer expert."

"Well, I'm not, like, an expert or anything," Kitty said with a shrug.

"Kitty's selling herself short," Forge argued, "She's got plenty of skill and unlike me or Ritchie, her powers don't relate to tech at all."

Kitty smiled at the praise before she pushed herself away from the terminal, rolling across the room to Ritchie. Looking over his shoulder, she giggled.

"Talking to your girlfriend Ritchie?" she asked.

"Get out of here!" Ritchie said, annoyed, waving his hand at her.

"You got a girlfriend, Ritchie?" Gwen asked, looking over his shoulder.

"She's just a friend," Ritchie replied as he turned his monitor away from Gwen.

"She's some hacker chick Ritchie met online," Forge explained, "What's her name? Fortuneteller or something?"

"Oracle," Ritchie corrected.

"That's it," Forge said, snapping his fingers.

"Well you can talk to her later," Virgil said, hauling Ritchie out of his chair, "We still have one more place to visit."

"Yeah and we've saved the best for last," Evan added as they made their way out of the room.

Walking through the metal hallway, they came to another door. Virgil quickly inputted a code into the door and it opened with a swooshing noise. The room within was also filled with a number of computers, as well as a control panel covered with a number of buttons and measuring devices. Behind the panel was a large window looking down on the room below. The room below was large and empty, covered in metal panels.

"What is all this?" Peter asked.

"This is the Danger Room," Virgil answered.

"The Danger Room?" MJ asked skeptically.

"It's kind of like a gym for mutants," Gar explained, flexing his muscles for emphasis.

"Oh man, I got to try this!" Johnny exclaimed.

"Um, Johnny," Kitty spoke up, "the Danger Room is for like, mutants only."

"Well Pretty Kitty, I may not be a mutant, but I was in a bit of an accident and now, I'm a changed man," Johnny explained, "You may all want to take a step back."

Looking at each other skeptically, they stepped back, forming a half circle around Johnny. As they did, Johnny quickly kicked off his shoes and took off his jacket, shirt and pants, revealing a blue and black body suit underneath, with a stylized four over his heart. Johnny cracked his knuckles and neck dramatically before stretching his fingers.

"Flame on!" he shouted, before he burst into flame. The group let out a cry of surprise as they jumped another step back.

"So?" Johnny asked, "What do you think?"

"Whoa, Johnny!" Jimmy exclaimed, "That's pretty sweet."

As Jimmy said that, Peter felt his phone ring in his pocket and pulled it out.

"So, where do I go in?" Johnny asked, a cocky grin on his face.

"Uh, Johnny, you might want to put a hold on that thought," Peter said, holding his cellphone to his ear.

"Why's that Pete?" Johnny asked, putting his hands on his hips in a heroic pose.

"You're sister is on the phone," Peter explained, holding up his phone for Johnny to see, "and she doesn't sound very happy."

Johnny's face immediately fell into a look of horror as his flame went out with a large puff of smoke.

_Later_

The Fantasticar shot off through the air towards New York City after having dropped off the group off in Metropolis. The group began to disperse, Hobbie and Robbie rolled off on their skateboards, while Eddie and Jimmy invited Peter to go grab a bite to eat.

"I'll see you later, Peter," MJ said, resting her hand on Peter's arm.

"Yeah, see you," Peter replied, smiling at her. Unbeknownst either of them, Jimmy was watching them, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The two groups separated, with MJ and Gwen walking in the opposite direction. As they walked, Gwen stepped in front of MJ.

"Alright, so what about that?" Gwen asked, indicating towards where they were standing few moments before.

"What was what?" MJ asked confused.

"I'll see you later?" Gwen quoted while mimicking MJ's actions towards Peter.

"Oh come on Gwen, not this again!" MJ said exasperatedly as she moved past her.

"I'm just calling them like I see them," Gwen said with a shrug.

"Ok, well how about you and Eddie?" MJ asked, whirling around.

"What about me and Eddie?" Gwen questioned.

"I've seen the way he looks at you. Especially when you were flirting with that Warren guy. The guy is so into you," MJ explained.

"Yeah, I know," Gwen said, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Well, how do you feel about him?" MJ asked.

"I don't know," Gwen replied, "He's a great guy but…"

"But?" MJ questioned.

"But my dad doesn't like him," Gwen admitted, looking stressed "You know Eddie broke the law a couple of times during middle school. My dad thinks he's some kind of punk. And even if my dad did like him, I'm not sure I like him, you know, that way."

"Geez, I'm sorry Gwen," MJ apologized, pulling her into a hug, "I didn't realize that it was stressing you out."

"No, MJ. I'm sorry," Gwen replied, "I shouldn't have pushed the issue about you and Peter. It's just that, I don't just see the way you look at each other. When you look at him, I don't see the same confusion I feel. I think you feel something for him MJ, even if you're not willing to admit it. Peter's a great guy and I want you to be happy"

"Thanks, Gwen," MJ replied, hugging her again, "I…don't honestly know if you're right about Peter yet. We'll see, I guess."

As she said that, both of their phones simultaneously rang at the same time. Grabbing them, they quickly pulled them out and looked at them. Looking up, they stared at each other in surprise.

"Harry's dad woke up!" they both exclaimed.

_Meanwhile, on the other side of town._

Work had halted for the day at one of the many construction sites that dotted Metropolis. Thanks to all the Big Bang and all the trouble that had followed it, there was no shortage of work to be done. Exiting the construction yard, Thor, in his Donald Blake guise, began his walk home. Pausing, he looked up at the sky, feeling a change in the wind.

"A storm approaches," he announced, still looking at the sky.

"Think so?" a voice asked behind him, "Looks pretty clear to me."

Turning, Thor found the foreman standing behind him. He was a tall fellow appearing older then Thor's Donald form. He had short blonde hair and a trimmed beard, with blue eyes. He wore an open flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a white t-shirt underneath it. He also wore a pair of dirty jeans and work boots. A toolbelt hung from his waist.

"I have a feeling for such things, Foreman Masterson," Thor explained.

"Whatever you say, Blake," the foreman said with a chuckle, "and I told you, call me Eric."

"'Tis not my way, Foreman," Thor said with a shrug, grinning.

"You're one weird guy, Blake," Eric replied rolling his eyes, before turning and waving him off, "See you tomorrow."

Thor nodded at him before turning and walking away. He didn't make it very far when he heard a woman scream. His eyes narrowing, he traced the source to a nearby alleyway. He quickly ran over to the entrance and looked inside.

Inside the alley were five people. One was a young woman who had obviously been on her way home from work. Surrounding her were four men that Thor knew all too well.

Each was slightly older than him, with athletic builds to match their professions. One had short red hair, and green eyes. He wore a green jacket over his white t-shirt, jeans and work boots. The second had crew cut, brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a faded yellow shirt under his plaid button up, along with jeans and work boots. The third had wavy, blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a white muscle shirt and worn jeans along with his work boots. The final man was an African American, with curly black hair, and brown eyes. He wore a green t-shirt along with his jeans and work boots.

"Stop it!" the woman exclaimed, pulling from the red head's grasp, "Leave me allow!"

"Aw, come on baby," the red head cooed, cupping her chin and forcing her to look at him, "Don't play hard to get."

The woman yanked from his grip before slapping him across the face. The other three guys let out calls of excitement as the man turned back to her, rubbing his face but smiling.

"I do like it when you play rough though," he sneered.

"Unhand her, Garthwaite!" Thor roared as he walked down the alley towards them.

"Well, well," Garthwaite said with a grin, pushing the woman into the brunette's grip, "If it ain't little ol' Blake. Still bein' a goodie two-shoes I see."

"You will cease you're harassment of this woman," Thor commanded, pointing his finger at Garthwaite.

"And if I don't?" Garthwaite asked with a grin.

"Then I will make you," Thor responded, his eyes narrowing.

"I'd like to see you try," Garthwaite said, shoving Thor in the chest, causing him to stumble a bit.

"Very well then," Thor growled, "Have at thee!"

Thor threw the first punch, hitting Garthwaite hard across the face. The red head quickly recovered, throwing a punch of his own. Thor easily ducked it, before burying his fist in the man's stomach. As Garthwaite doubled over in pain, Thor grabbed his hair and forced him to look up, before driving his fist into the red head's face, sending him falling to the ground.

The other three looked down at their comrade in surprise, before looking at Thor.

"Next?" Thor asked, cracking his knuckles.

They grimaced before they all began to move towards him as Thor slid into a fighting stance.

"Hey!" a voice called, catching all their attentions and stopping them in their tracks, "What's going on here!"

Looking behind him, Thor saw Eric standing in the alleyway, brandishing a mallet.

"We we're just leaving, Eric," Garthwaite stated as he picked himself up off the ground. Wiping his mouth, he and his gang made their way out of the alley. As he passed Thor, he leaned over and glared at him.

"Next time, Blake, I'll wreck you," he threatened.

"We shall see," Thor shot back as the men kept walking.

Once they were gone, Thor turned back towards the woman.

"Are you alright, miss?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, wiping her eyes, "Thank you. Thank you both."

With that, she quickly made her way out of the alleyway and disappeared. Watching her go, Thor turned his eyes on Eric.

"I admire your choice of weapon," he said, looking at Eric's mallet.

"Well, when all you have is a hammer," Eric replied with a shrug as he shouldered the weapon and ushered Thor out of the alleyway.

Unbeknownst to either of them, a figure watched them, invisibly, from the roof top above. Loki chuckled, as he brushed off his green robes, his other hand holding his horned helmet.

"Always playing the hero, dear brother," he said with an evil grin as he placed his helmet back on his head.

"The problem with being a hero though," he stated as his eyes turned to Garthwaite and his gang, "is you make no shortage of enemies."

With that, he let out another sinister chuckle before vanishing from site.

A/N: So this ended up being a lot longer then I intended. Even so, I really enjoyed writing it. At first, it may seem like filler, but it explores the important question of what Peter's friends have been up to as well as introducing some points that will be important later. Couple that with getting to introduce some members of my version of the X-Men and writing some fun character interaction and you get a really fun chapter. Anyway, hope you guys are ready for some action next chapter, because there will be plenty of it! Please Review! Later True Believers!


	12. Sibling Rivalry

**Chapter 12: Sibling Rivalry**

_When people do not respect us we are sharply offended; yet in his private heart no man much respects himself._

-Mark Twain

_November 3__rd__, 2012, a bar somewhere in Metropolis._

Loud music and shouts came from the seedy little bar deep within the depths of Metropolis. The noises were suddenly covered up by the sound of furniture and glass breaking, accompanied by the angry shouts of the patrons within. After a few moments, the door was flung open and Garthwaite stumbled out, followed by his cronies a few seconds later.

"And stay out!" someone shouted from inside before the door slammed shut.

"You okay Dirk?" the African American asked, helping Garthwaite up.

"Do I look ok to you, Eliot?" he snarled as he pushed the man's hand away before wiping his bloodied lip with the back of his hand.

"Hey come on Dirk," the blond spoke up, "He's just trying to help."

"Help?" Dirk growled, "Like you were helpin' me in that fight, Brian?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Brian asked.

"Well I didn't see you or Henry helpin' me as I was getting my face pounded in!" Dirk shouted, point an accusing finger at the fourth man.

"Hey, that ain't fair, Dirk," Henry argued, "We were with you the entire way."

"Yeah whatever," Dirk replied dismissively, "I'm just tired of getting our asses handed to us. By these bouncers. By the foreman. And especially by Blake. God, if he hadn't stuck his nose in our business, we'd probably still have out jobs."

Growling in frustration, he punched the wall of the bar, earning him nothing more than a bruised hand.

"I'm just sick of it," he growled.

"Having a bad evening, gentlemen?" a voice asked. Turning, they saw a man appear from the shadows nearby. He wore a dark green suit, with a green tie and white undershirt along with black leather shoes, a brown scarf and a green overcoat. He had short, styled, jet-black hair and icy blue eyes along with pale features and a skinny frame. He carried a polished, wooded cane in his right hand.

"What does it matter to you, punk?" Dirk growled as he turned to face the smaller man.

"Oh, I meant know offense," the man said quickly, "It just seemed like you were all down on your luck and in need of a friend."

"You just go around and tried to befriend guys who get thrown out of bars?" Brian asked.

"When it suits me," the man replied with a shrug.

"Whatever, this guy is crazy," Eliot stated, waving his hand at the man, "Let's get out of here."

"What if I told you I could make it so no one ever pushed you around again?" the man asked as they turned to leave, giving Dirk pause.

"You been eavesdroppin' on me?" he asked threateningly.

"I hear what I hear," the man replied with a shrug.

"I have half a mind to break your face in," Dirk threatened.

"Please, my friend," the man said, laying one of his hands against Dirk's chest, "There is no reason we can't be civil."

With that, he pushed on Dirk's chest. The force of the move was immense, knocking Dirk off his feet, and throwing him through the air, to land on the ground a few feet away.

"How-How did you do that?" Henry asked as Brian and Eliot helped Dirk to his feet.

"I have my ways," the man replied mysteriously, "now do you want my help or not?"

"Why do you want to help us so badly?" Dirk asked dusting himself off.

"Well I could say that it was just my own goodwill but I'd be lying," the man answered with a smirk, "You see, it has come to my attention that you have met a former….associate of mine. A Mr. Donald Blake."

"What does Blake got to do with this?" Dirk growled.

"Let's just say he had wronged me, like he has you," the man explained with a shrug, "I'm just looking for some nice, healthy revenge, you know?"

"Yeah, I like the sound of that," Dirk said with an evil grin, "So what do we call you?"

"You can't just call me, Mr. Lyesmith," he replied with a smirk.

"So what's your plan, Lyesmith?" Eliot asked.

"Simple, I make it so you can't be pushed around anymore," Lyesmith explained, "By tomorrow morning, you four will be new men."

"Sounds good," Dirk said, the other three nodding, "So where do we start?"

"Just follow me, gentlemen," Lyesmith replied, turning and walking down the street, "Your destiny awaits!"

_The next day, construction site in downtown Metropolis_

Thor, in his Donald Blake disguise, was going about his daily work. Dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans along with his safety equipment, he made his way across the site to the area where he was needed. He glanced up at the noon day sun shining down on him as he admired the skyscrapers that surrounded the site. Looking back down, he found the foreman waiting for him along with a few other workmen. Eric looked up as he saw Thor approach.

"Ah, there you are Blake," he said greeting him, "I need you to go up with these guys to the sixth floor and help them work on the walling, alright?"

"It shall be done, Foreman," Thor replied.

"Yeah, yeah, just get going, it's almost lunch time," Eric replied before waving them off.

Thor and the other workers turned to go, walking towards the half-finished building. Suddenly, a whistling sound caught Thor's attention. Turning towards the source, he had just enough time to gawk in surprise before four objects plowed into the ground, shaking it like a bomb went off while kicking up a giant cloud of dust. The force of the impact knocked Thor and the other men off their feet and sent them rolling across the ground.

Coughing as he wiped the dust from his eyes, Thor slowly stood up to see what had happened. A large crater now sat before Thor, with four figures standing in front of him. As the dust cleared, Thor let out a gasp as he saw the figures clearly.

Four men stood before him, each standing a head taller than him. Their bodies seemed to be rippling with power, their muscles and tendons threatening to burst from their skin. The skin on their faces seemed stretched, giving them crazed eyes and mouths with eternally bared teeth. They breathed harshly as they picked themselves up. Each of their eyes glowed an eerie green.

The one closest to Thor had a mop of red hair and wore a tattered green jacket and jeans. He carried what looked like an oversized crowbar in his right hand, from which bolts of electricity occasionally shot off. To his left stood a monster with wavy blond hair. He wore a tattered white muscle shirt and jeans. His hands were noticeably larger than the others and they cracked dangerously as he flexed them. The third monster wore a tattered yellow shirt and jeans, along with a metal helmet that obscured most of his features, including his mouth, causing his heavy breathing to be muffled. The fourth monster's skin was darker and he had dark brown hair on his head. He was shirtless with just a pair of tattered jeans on. A heavy chain was wrapped around his neck and right arm, ending in a heavy wrecking ball.

"By Odin," Thor whispered to himself.

"How's it going, Blake?" the red headed monster asked.

"Garthwaite?" Thor asked, dumbfounded.

"Not anymore," he corrected, "you can call me Wrecker now and my boys here are the Wrecking Crew. Piledriver, Bulldozer and Thunderball."

"What happened to you?" Thor asked.

"I met an old friend of yours," Wrecker explained, "Mr. Lyesmith."

"Lyesmith?" Thor questioned, confused.

"Yeah," Wrecker replied, "and he told me to give you a message."

With that, Wrecker swung his crowbar upwards, hitting Thor in the jaw, sending him flying through the air, and over the fence that surrounded the site, disappearing out of sight. Wrecker turned back to the others and laughed, the others joining in.

"Did you see that?" Wrecker laughed, "I almost took his head off!"

"Wow," Henry said, "Now what do we do?"

"How about we do what Lyesmith suggested?" Wrecker asked, a dangerous grin on his face "We cause some mayhem."

They were interrupted by the sound of a thunder crack as a lightning bolt hit nearby. A second later, Thor landed in the construction yard a few feet in front of the Wrecker, now in his true form. Electricity crackled around him as he glared at the four.

"You dare come into this fair city and strike a defenseless man?" Thor accused, pointing his hammer at Wrecker.

"What are you, Blake's bodyguard?" Wrecker asked, threateningly.

"I am the defender of all the people of this city," Thor replied, stepping up to Wrecker and looking into his eyes.

"Yeah we'll me and my buddies have something different in mind," Wrecker said with a grin, nodding towards his gang.

A sonic boom sounded in the distance and a smile spread across Thor's features.

"You've made a grave mistake, villain," Thor stated, "You believe I am alone."

Just then, Superman and Wonder Woman landed, flanking him and shaking the ground.

"Now, where were we?" Thor asked.

_A few minutes earlier, Reeves Public High School_

Harry exited the cafeteria, accompanied by Peter and Mary Jane.

"So how's your dad been doing since he woke up, Harry?" MJ asked.

"Pretty good. He's mostly the same. Workaholic as always, even more so since what happened at the laboratory," Harry explained.

"Only mostly the same?" Peter asked, concerned.

"It's weird, I catch him…talking to himself sometimes. The doctors said there might be brain damage but still," Harry said nervously.

"I'm sure it will be ok," MJ comforted.

"Thanks," Harry said, before checking his watch, "I got to get to class. See you guys later."

"You think he'll be alright?" MJ asked Peter.

"I hope so," Peter replied.

Their musings were interrupted by the sound of a large impact in the distance, followed by a rumbling that shook the ground.

"What the hell was that!" MJ exclaimed, before they both rushed over to a window along with a number of other students. Looking through it, they saw a cloud of smoke rising from the city.

"Looks like trouble," MJ commented.

"Looks like I'm not going to make it to math class," Peter replied.

"I'll cover for you," MJ said, placing a hand on his arm.

"Thanks MJ," Peter replied, smiling at her.

"No problem," she said, smiling back, "Be safe."

"I'll try," Peter responded with a nod before turning and running off.

"All right, people," a teacher said to the gathering students, "Show's over, back to class."

As the group dispersed, MJ saw Jimmy approaching her.

"Hey MJ," Jimmy greeted her happily, "Pretty crazy stuff huh?"

"Yeah," MJ replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Hey MJ, are you doing anything after school?" Jimmy asked, scratching the back of his head nervously, "Because I was wondering if you wanted to grab a bite to eat or something?"

"Oh, sorry Jimmy, but I'm studying for my math test with Peter after school today," MJ explained.

"Oh, ok then," Jimmy said with a disappointed voice. As he did the bell rang.

"Sorry, I got to go. See you later, Jimmy," she said before running off.

"Yeah," Jimmy replied as his head lowered sadly, "See ya."

_Meanwhile, at the construction yard_

"So which one do you want?" Superman asked as he eyed the three other members of the Wrecking Crew.

"You say that as if you're going to handle the other two," Wonder Woman replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Why shouldn't I?" Superman questioned.

"No offence Superman, but I do believe I still have more combat experience then you," Wonder Woman argued.

"Too much talking!" Bulldozer bellowed, "We fight now!"

Lowering his helmeted head, he barreled towards Superman.

"Alright, you handle the other two, I'll take this guy!" Superman shouted as he lowered his body and held his hands out.

Roaring in fury, Bulldozer slammed into Superman, catching the Kryptonian off guard. He managed to grab onto Bulldozers helmet, but the force of his charge still pushed Superman backwards, leaving deep groves in the ground as he dug in his heels. A second later, Bulldozer pushed him through the fence surrounding the yard, knocking Superman off his feet and sending him tumbling across the ground.

"Is that all you got, tough guy?" Bulldozer mocked as Superman picked himself up.

"Not even close," Superman growled as he dusted himself off before disappearing in a blur of motion. Before Bulldozer could react, Superman drove his fist into the larger man's stomach then grabbed the sides of his head and threw him over his shoulder, sending Bulldozer tumbling into the street.

A car screeched to a halt as the large man rolled to a stop. Picking himself up, Bulldozer grabbed the hood of the car, glaring at the driver, a young man, within. Lifting it into the air, Bulldozer threw the car at Superman. Acting quickly, Superman caught the car and gently put it down. This gave Bulldozer the opening to rush at Superman and punch him hard in the face, sending the Kryptonian flying backwards and through a wall into a nearby building. Bulldozer chuckled as he cracked his knuckles while Superman picked himself up again.

"Have at thee!" Thor shouted as he swung his hammer at Wrecker. Wrecker managed to block it with his crowbar, sending sparks flying as the two weapons met. Pushing back, Thor forced the larger man backwards before driving his foot into Wrecker's stomach, before he used the position to leverage himself up and kick Wrecker in the chin with his other foot. Following through with his momentum, Thor flipped backwards and landed on the ground while Wrecker stumbled back. Thor quickly threw his hammer at Wrecker, striking him in the chest, sending him flying through the air and tumbling across the ground. Thor took the opportunity to rush Wrecker while grabbing his hammer as it flew back to him.

Leaping into the air, Thor lifted his hammer over his head and brought it down on Wrecker as Thor landed. Wrecker managed to block the attack with his own weapon, stopping the hammer a few inches away from his face. Lightning crackled around the two as they struggled against each other. Wrecker broke the struggle by kicking Thor in the chest, sending him flying away. Thor managed to flip through the air and land on his feet. As Thor straightened up, his eyes widened in surprise as Wrecker hurled his crowbar at him. Batting the weapon aside with his hammer, he watched with surprise as it spun through the air and returned to Wrecker's waiting hand.

"Lyesmith said we might run into you," Wrecker said, chuckling at Thor's surprise, "He said he enchanted my crowbar so it acts like that hammer of yours."

"Your tool may have been enchanted, but is nothing more than a pale reflection of Mjolnir," Thor shot back, twirling the hammer in his hand. Thrusting it forward, he hurled it at Wrecker while still holding onto it, flying through the air. He hit Wrecker hard in the chest, sending the large man flying through the air and crashing through the fence surrounding the site, where he rolled out of sight. Thor immediately chased after him, eager to put him down.

Wonder Woman leapt through the air, landing between Piledriver and Thunderball. Piledriver immediately swung one of his massive fists at her. She ducked the blow, sliding along the ground as she did so, before she hopped up and thrust her fist into his stomach. As he doubled over, she drove her knee into his face, causing him to stumble back. Leaping into the air, she kicked Piledriver in the chest, sending him flying back as she flipped through the air.

Turning around, Wonder Woman kicked Thunderball in the face, flipping backwards and landing in front of him while he stumbled back. Recovering, Thunderball swung his wrecking ball at her. Leaping into the air, Wonder Woman flipped over the ball, drawing her lasso as she did so. Landing, she tossed it at the ball and chain, wrapping it around the ball. Pulling on it, she pulled the chain and rope taut. Digging their feet into the ground, Wonder Woman and Thunderball pulled against each other, neither gaining an advantage.

A roar from behind her caught Wonder Woman's attention. Glancing behind her, she saw Piledriver charging at her again. With a flick of a wrist, she released her lasso, causing Thunderball to stumble backwards due to the lack of resistance. Whirling around, she leapt into the air and kicked Piledriver in the face. As he reeled, Wonder Woman landed before driving her fist into his chest, causing Piledriver to stumble back. As he did, she threw her lasso out, wrapping it around Piledriver's foot before yanking him off his feet and onto his back. Walking up, she stood over him and drove her foot into his stomach, knocking the wind out of his lungs.

As she looked down at Piledriver, she heard the clink of chains as Thunderball swung his ball at them. She had no time to dodge so she held up her arms to block as she waited for the impact. However, the impact didn't come. Looking up, Wonder Woman saw the ball held in place by two strands of webbing. Following them, she saw Spider-Man perched on the fence nearby.

"Excellent timing, my student!" Wonder Woman called out, dropping her arms.

"What can I say? I know how to make an entrance!" Spider-Man shouted back as he dropped the ball and leapt in front of Thunderball.

"You take Big Hands while I take old Ball and Chain here?" Spider-Man asked as Piledriver picked himself up and Thunderball started to twirl his ball.

"Very well," Wonder Woman replied, before they both leapt into action.

The roof of the nearby building burst open as Bulldozer flew out. Superman flew up after him and drove his fist into Bulldozer's stomach, sending the man flying higher. Flying after him, Superman flew past him and hit Bulldozer in the back with an axe handle strike, sending him shooting back to the ground. Superman then intercepted him by punching him and sending him flying to the side. Superman repeated the action a dozen more times before he grabbed onto Bulldozer's leg. He spun Bulldozer around and threw him to the ground, where he crashed into the earth of the work site, making a large crater. As Bulldozer tried to pick himself up, Superman landed on his chest, driving him further into the ground.

"I suggest you stay down," Superman said, glaring down at him.

"Not a chance," Bulldozer growled before he grabbed Superman's leg and slammed him into the ground to the side. As Superman tried to clear his head, Bulldozer stood up and picked him before slamming him into the ground again. Stepping above Superman, he stomped on Superman's chest. Picking him up, he head-butted Superman, slamming his metal helmet against the Kryptonian's skull. As Superman sat stunned in Bulldozer's hand, he threw him towards the construction site, where he slammed through a wall. As Superman recovered, Bulldozer charged him with a roar.

Seeing the man coming, Superman stepped to the side, allowing the large man to pass him by. As Bulldozer ran by, Superman used his speed to reach down and grab Bulldozer's ankles. Pulling them upwards, he caused Bulldozer to slam face first into the ground. Turning around, he lifted Bulldozer up by his ankles and slammed him on his back. Walking up, Superman grabbed Bulldozer by his shoulder, lifting him up before punching him hard in the face, delivering enough force to dent his helmet. Bulldozer groaned in pain before he slumped back against the ground as Superman let him go.

"This time," Superman growled, "Stay down."

Wonder Woman dodged again as Piledriver threw another massive fist at her. As she flipped backwards, Piledriver growled in frustration.

"Give up. Now," Wonder Woman ordered, glaring at Piledriver.

"No way in hell!" he growled, slamming his hands together, causing a large shockwave to shoot out. The blow caught her off guard, sending Wonder Woman flying. She flipped through the air, landing on her feet and skidding across the ground.

"You like that?" Piledriver mocked, "Then how about this!"

Piledriver slammed his fists against the ground, causing the ground to shake. A fissure formed in the ground that raced towards Wonder Woman. Leaping into the air, she flipped over the crack, before throwing a kick at Piledriver's head. This time though, Piledriver reacted fast enough and grabbed her leg. Lifting her up, Piledriver quickly slammed her on the ground, stunning her. Hoisting her up, Piledriver quickly punched her with her free hand, before doing it twice more. As Wonder Woman groaned in pain, he slammed her against the ground again before tossing her away.

As she picked herself up, Wonder Woman saw Piledriver leap into the air, raising his fists above his head to bring them down on her. She quickly rolled out of the way, though the impact caused the ground to crack and sending her flying through the air. She managed to flip around again, landing on her feet.

Piledriver roared as he ran at Wonder Woman, his fist cocked. Throwing his fist at her, she dodged, flicking her lasso at his arm. It wrapped around his wrist, which she yanked back, knocking Pile driver off balance and twirling behind him. Lifting her leg up, she placed it against his shoulder as she yanked his arm back further. Piledriver growled in rage before he reached for her with his free arm. Wonder Woman dodged his grab before she wrapped some of the length around his other arm quickly tying them together. Jumping up, she put her free foot against her head and put her weight behind it, driving his face into the ground. As Piledriver tried to break free, Wonder Woman quickly wrapped up his legs with the rest of her lasso, leaving him hogtied on the ground. Wonder Woman grinned down at him as she placed her foot on his shoulder triumphantly.

Thunderball roared as he swung his ball at Spider-Man. Leaning back, Spider-Man ducked below the ball, the heavy steel passing just a few inches from his face. As the ball swung past him, Spider-Man quickly hopped back to his feet and leapt into the air. Firing two weblines at the ground behind Thunderball, he pulled himself to the larger man. Slamming his feet into Thunderball's face, Spider-Man vaulted off of his face, flipping behind him. Spinning in the air, he fired the weblines in front of Thunderball, pulling himself back again, kicking Thunderball in the back of the head. Flipping over him, Spider-Man landed in front of Thunderball, before springing up and uppercutting him in the jaw. As Thunderball stumbled backwards, Spider-Man whirled around and grabbed the larger man's shoulders. Using his grip to swing himself down, he drove his knees into his stomach. As Thunderball doubled over, Spider-Man flipped around in the air and wrapped his legs around the man's head. Placing his hands against the ground, he flipped Thunderball over, slamming him face first into the ground.

"Had enough?" Spider-Man asked as he flipped back to a standing position, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Roaring, Thunderball swung his ball and chain at Spider-Man. Alerted by his spider senses, Spider-Man flipped over the attack, landing safely a few feet away, he was caught off guard though when Thunderball rushed him and uppercutted him on the jaw. The blow knocked Spider-Man off his feet and sent him sailing through the air.

Spider-Man flew high into the air, up to where work was being done on the building, where only exposed girders were present. He slammed into one of the exposed steel girders, hard enough to dent it, before falling to the one below. Groaning, he picked himself up before quickly hopping onto the girder behind him as Thunderball leapt after him, landing hard on the girder, denting it under his weight.

Thunderball roared as he swung his ball at Spider-Man who, leapt over the attack. Leaping across the gap, he landed on Thunderball's shoulders before vaulting off of him up onto the girder above them. Leaning over, he shot two weblines, snagging Thunderball's shoulders. Before the large man could react, Spider-Man leapt back to the girder he was originally on, pulling the larger man into the air. As Thunderball struggled, Spider-Man pulled hard on the lines, jerking Thunderball up and slamming his head against the girder. Thunderball groaned in pain as Spider-Man slacked the lines, before jerking them up again. He repeated the process have a dozen times, the clanging sound of Thunderball's head hitting the girder echoing around him as the iron beam dented from the prolonged assault.

After a few moments, Spider-Man stopped, securing the two ends he was holding to the beam he was standing on, leaving Thunderball hanging in the air, stunned, his ball and chain slipping from his hands. Leaping through the air, Spider-Man kicked the vulnerable Thunderball hard in the chest, the force of the blow snapping the weblines and sending Thunderball falling towards the ground, Spider-Man right behind him. As he fell, Spider-Man turned and snagged Thunderball's ball and chain with his weblines before pulling it over to him. Grabbing the chain, Spider-Man spun in the air like a shot-putter, the ball gaining momentum as he spun. After a few seconds, he released the ball, sending it flying at Thunderball. The heavy metal ball struck Thunderball right in the chest, its extra momentum sending him plummeting to the ground below. He hit the ground hard, cratering it and sending a cloud of dust shooting into the air. As it cleared, Thunderball was revealed, lying on his back with the ball sitting on top of him.

Spider-Man landed lightly on the ball, looking down at Thunderball.

"You really have to keep better track of this thing," Spider-Man commented as he patted the iron ball, "I can't always be returning it to you."

Wrecker roared as he swung at Thor, his crowbar crackling with energy. Thor ducked the attack and swung his hammer upwards, hitting Wrecker square in the gut. The air knocked out of him, Wrecker stumbled back, allowing Thor to swing his hammer upward and hit Wrecker on the chin, sending him falling on his back.

"Yield!" Thor shouted, pointing his weapon at Wrecker.

"Never!" Wrecker shouted back, knocking Thor's hammer out of the way with his crowbar before leaping to his feet, "I'm sick of doing what people like you want me to! I'm sick of never getting the respect I deserve!"

Roaring in fury, he swung his crowbar down at Thor, who blocked it with the shaft of his hammer. The two men pushed against each other, bolts of electricity shooting off the weapons.

"Respect?" Thor questioned as they struggled, "What respect do you deserve? Respect is not something one takes, it is given."

With a heave, he pushed Wrecker back, before smacking him hard across the face with his hammer. As Wrecker stumbled away, Thor hit him in the gut, forcing him to double over. Thor quickly followed up by hitting Wrecker on the back of his head, the blow accompanied with a boom like a thunderclap.

"And no one will give respect to a thug like you," Thor spat as he stood over Wrecker. Shaking his head at him, Thor turned and began to walk away.

"Don't you turn your back on me!" Wrecker screamed as he sat up and pointed his crowbar at Thor's back, shooting a bolt of lightning around. Whirling around with amazing speed, Thor batted the bolt away, causing it to chew up a large chunk of the ground to his side. Standing up, Wrecker fired another bolt, which Thor batted away again. Firing a third left Wrecker with a similar result. Roaring in rage, Wrecker fired another bolt. This time Thor countered by firing a bolt of his own. The two clashed in a cacophony of light and sound as the two attacks struggled against each other. Thrusting his hammer forward, Thor increased the power of his own bolt, slowly pushing Wrecker's back. Holding his crowbar with both hands, Wrecker tried to increase the power, but he couldn't hold Thor back. With a cry of rage and despair, Wrecker's crowbar was knocked aside and the bolt hit him in the chest, sending him flying backwards. Smoke slowly rose from Wreckers chest as he lay on the ground, groaning in pain. Thor spared him one last look before walking over to the others.

"Well that wasn't so bad," Spider-Man commented as he brushed off his hands.

"Speak for yourself," Superman replied, rubbing his shoulder.

"Who are these men?" Wonder Woman asked.

"I use to work with these four men," Thor explained, looking at them scattered about, "They were mean and cruel men, but they were nothing like this last I saw them."

"Did they say anything?" Spider-Man asked.

"They said a man named…Lyesmith," Thor said as realization crossed his face along with Wonder Woman.

"Lyesmith?" Spider-Man questioned, "Who's Lyesmith?"

"Not Lyesmith," Superman replied, catching on, "The Lie Smith. It's a title. One belonging to-"

Superman was cut off by the sound of loud, ethereal laughing as Loki appeared, sitting on one of the girders, looking down at them. He wore a green robe with black lining over a green tunic and pants. He wore simple black shoes and a golden helmet with long horns that swept backwards.

"Loki," Thor growled as he glared up at him.

"Hello, brother!" Loki called with a jovial tone, "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Not long enough," Wonder Woman spat, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"You wound me, Princess!" Loki called back, holding his hand over his heart.

"Oh, I'll do more than that!" she shouted as she shot up into the air, flying at Loki full tilt. Cocking her fist back, she threw a fist at his smug face, but just as she did, he disappeared into a puff of green smoke.

"Now, now Princess," Loki mocked as he reappeared on the other side of the work site, "We'll have none of that."

"What are you doing here Loki?" Thor demanded.

"I just wanted to meet your new friends, brother," Loki replied, indicating to Superman and Spider-Man, "The Last Son of Krypton and the Amazing Spider-Man!"

He chuckled as he looked them over.

"Of course, when I say meet, I really mean test," Loki explained.

"Test?" Superman asked, eyeing Loki suspiciously.

"Yes, Kryptonian. Test," Loki sneered, "My goal remains the same as always. I will bring you low, brother. And to do that, I must understand those who stand at your side and a few giant blood infused thugs were exactly the pawns I needed to sacrifice to do it."

"So that's all this was?" Spider-Man asked, "A test for me and Supes?"

"Very astute, wallcrawler," Loki congratulated.

"What would have happened if we hadn't come?" Superman asked.

"But you did," Loki replied, indicating towards him, "just as I knew you would. Now I could stand here all day talking to you but I have places to be and plots to scheme. Farewell."

With that, Loki disappeared in another puff of smoke, leaving the four heroes behind.

"Does anyone else have a really bad feeling about this?" Spider-Man asked.

As they talked, Thor felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he found Eric standing behind him.

"Uh, Thor, right?" Eric asked.

"Aye F…sir," Thor said, quickly correcting himself.

"It's just before you got here one of my men got hit real bad, and I was wondering if you could go help him," Eric explained.

"Oh?" Thor asked, before the gears in his brains started cranking out an idea, "Ah yes I came across the man on my way here. Worry not, I saw that he got the treatment he needed."

"Really?" Eric asked.

"Aye," Thor said, a nervous expression on his face.

"Well, alright. Thanks," Eric said with a nod, before he walked away and started to gather up his men.

"Smooth," Spider-Man mocked.

"Shut up," Thor replied, glaring at him.

"So what do we do with them?" Wonder Woman asked, indicating to the Wrecking Crew.

"No regular prison could hold them," Superman stated, "So I guess we'll have to hand them over to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"You sound unsure," Thor observed.

"That thing the Hulk said about not trusting them is still on my mind," Superman explained.

"But you said yourself," Spider-Man stated, "They're the only ones who can hold these guys."

"Besides, they're tasked with protecting this world. If we want to do our jobs, we'll have to trust them to some degree, won't we?" Wonder Woman asked.

"Maybe. Regardless, we have no choice. The least we can do is get them ready for transport," Superman said.

_Later_

Lex Luthor sat in his darkened office, watching video footage of the battle that had happened that day. Specifically, he was watching footage of Spider-Man. He had another screen that was facing the man who sat in a chair across from him.

"So now you've seen your target," Lex explained, "Do you think you can get a sample from him?"

"Guy's got moves," the man commented, "I'll be glad to have them. Yeah, I can get a sample. Maybe even the whole the thing."

"You're organization comes highly recommended, I expect great things from you, Agent Masters," Lex commented, turning to face the man.

"I'll get it done, and please," the man said as he stepped into the light. His features were completely obscured thanks to the white, skull-like mask he wore, which had red, pin-prick like eyes. He also wore a dark purple, leather, short sleeved hoodie with the hood pulled up. He also wore a pair of dark purple, leather pants, black gloves that came up to his mid arm and black boots. He had weapon straps running across his chest from which hung a pair of hand guns near his waist and a katana on his back.

"Call me Taskmaster."

_Meanwhile_

Norman Osborn walked through the door into an old warehouse wearing his business suit. Boxes upon boxes sat piled around the building, which was dimly lit by fluorescents lights hanging high above. Walking through the aisles, he looked around for any sign of life.

"Hello?" he called.

"Oh! Visitors!" an excited voice exclaimed before a figure stepped into view. He was an elderly man who walked with a hunched posture. He had receding white hair and blue eyes behind thick glasses. He wore a long brown trench coat over a simple white shirt black pants with black shoes.

"Mr. Mason?" Norman asked.

"M-Mr. Osborn!" Mason exclaimed, fixing his coat, "What a surprise."

"I'm sure it is," Norman said with a chuckle, "I doubt you expected to see me after you were…demoted."

"Yes," Mason replied, a dark look crossing his face, "that's true."

"I hope you realize that I had nothing to do with that," Norman explained, "The board simply was not ready for your discoveries. They were scared of your genius and my hands were tied."

"I understand, Mr. Osborn," Mason replied with a nod of his head.

"That's good to hear," Norman stated, putting his hands in his pockets, "because I need your help."

"My help?" Mason asked.

"Yes, I'm sure you heard what happened at the laboratories a few months back," Norman explained.

"Oh yes, terrible thing that," Mason said, rubbing his hands together and nodding his head.

"I'm looking to hunt down the people responsible for it and making them pay," Norman explained.

"Make them pay?" Mason questioned, "Mr. Osborn, isn't this something you should leave for the police?"

"The police!" Norman exclaimed, "These bastards attacked me! Ruined all my work! I'm not going to sit around and wait for the police, assuming these bastards haven't bought them out already. I'm going to go out and get the justice I deserve!"

"Of course, Mr. Osborn," Mason replied, now slightly cowed, "I'll help in any way I can."

"Good, I'll need some weapons, close quarters and long range," Norman began.

"Close quarters?" Mason asked, "Why would you want to get close?"

"I've gone through a few changes, Phineas," Norman said as he walked over to a large crate and lifting it effortlessly into the air with one hand.

"Amazing," Mason gawked.

"Indeed. Now I just need the hardware to go with the new software, if you know what I mean," Norman explained.

"I do, and I have plenty of arms and armor you might be interested in. I'm also guessing you'll need transportation?" Mason asked.

"Of course," Norman replied.

"Then I think I have just the thing," Mason said as he lead Norman deeper into the warehouse. They eventually came to an office, in which there was a workbench and a design board. On the board were blue prints for a winged, jet propelled craft.

"What is that?" Norman asked.

"I call it the Glider," Mason replied, "It's a jet propelled, one man aircraft and weapons platform."

"It looks like you stand on it?" Norman observed.

"Yes, it requires a great deal of reflexes and fortitude to man, more than a normal person could posse. But with your enhanced abilities, I suspect you might," Mason explained.

"How long will it take you to make it?" Norman asked.

"I've already begun work on the prototype, it should be ready in a few days," Mason replied, smiling.

"Excellent," Norman replied, a dark smile on his face.

_Later_

Director Fury stood on the bridge of the Helicarrier, observing as his men went about their work. As he did, a woman walked up behind him. She was in her late twenties, with tanned skin, brown eyes and short brown hair. She wore a S.H.I.E.L.D. jumpsuit like the rest of the agents over her athletic frame.

"Director Fury?" she announced herself.

"Agent Hill," Fury replied, greeting her while still looking ahead, "What's the report?"

"The four criminals we apprehended have been taken to the Alpha site," she explained.

"You think it can hold them?" Fury asked.

"It's the most advanced prison in the world, sir. Designed by some of the greatest minds in the world. If any place could hold them, it would be the Vault," Hill replied.

"Good," Fury said with a nod, "What about Rodgers?"

"The Captain has been dropped off as he requested, he'll contact us when he needs pick up," Hill reported.

"Hope he finds what he's looking for," Fury observed as he dismissed Hill.

_Meanwhile_

Wonder Woman, Superman and Thor were heading back home after their nightly patrol. As they did, they noticed a S.H.I.E.L.D. transport, a sleek, blue and black Osprey, on a nearby rooftop. Looking closer, Superman saw that the agents standing next to it were trying to catch their attention. Signaling to the others, they flew down to the rooftop.

"Anything we can help you with?" Superman asked, addressing the agent if front of him.

"Not us, Superman," the agent replied, before gesturing to the inside of the transport, "Him."

Looking into the transport, the three saw a figure step out. He was in his late twenties, with short blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore a leather jacket over a white t-shirt and jeans, which did little to hide his powerful physique. All their eyes widened as they recognized the man.

"Hi, I'm Steve. Steve Rodgers," he greeted a bit uneasily, "I'm guessing you might know me better as-"

"Captain America," Superman said with awe.

"Yeah," Steve replied chuckling, "Anyway, I'm here because I wanted to talk to Wonder Woman."

"Me?" she questioned.

"Yeah, I needed to ask you something," he explained.

"What?" Wonder Woman asked, eager to help.

"I need to see your mother," Steve replied, a hopeful look in his eyes.

A/N: Well this chapter took a bit longer than I expected, but I think it turned out good. Some good action and a bunch of plot points added. Hope you guys like it! Please review! Later True Believers!


	13. Homeward Bound

**Chapter 13: Homeward Bound**

_Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home._

-Mother Teresa

___November 4__th__, 2012_

Steve stood in the living room of the three heroes' apartment, looking around appreciatively. As he did, Diana came in from the kitchen, carrying two cups of coffee and dressed in her civilian clothes.

"You've grown up a lot since I last saw you," Steve observed, "Of course, last time I saw you, you were only a few years old."

"I confess I don't remember you," Diana replied, "I've always thought that Thor was the only male to ever set foot on our island."

"Your mother never mentioned me?" Steve asked with a hint of sadness.

"Only once," Diana confessed, "How did you come to the island?"

"That's a long story, probably better for another time," Steve explained, "What happened to your blond friend?"

"He's with Dr. Strange contacting my mother," she answered.

"Dr. Strange?" Steve asked.

"The Sorcerer Supreme and an old friend of ours," Dana explained.

"Magic," Steve laughed, "Stuff makes my head spin, though everything seems to do that now days."

"I know what you mean," Diana chuckled, "When I first came to Man's World, I was amazed at what they could accomplish without the aid of magic."

"It certainly takes getting used to," Steve agreed. As they talked, Clark walked in the room, also dressed in his civies.

"Hey, Clark right?" Steve asked.

"Yes, sir," Clark answered.

"Sir?" Steve questioned with a chuckle, "Clark I'm only a few years older than you. Biologically at least."

"Sorry," Clark apologized, scratching the back of his head, "It's just that I grew up on stories about you. You're one of my idols."

"Wow, you flatter me Clark," Steve replied.

"Really?" Clark asked.

"Yeah, makes me proud to think I helped inspire someone like you," Steve explained, "I've seen the work you've been doing, Clark. It's good stuff."

"Thank you sir," Clark replied, a beaming smile on his face.

"Hey what did I just say about that?" Steve asked with a chuckle, "It's just Steve, or Cap if we ever serve in the field together."

"You got it, Steve," Clark said with a smile.

As they talked, Thor flew up to the balcony and made his way into the living room.

"How did it go Thor?" Diana asked, "Did you speak with Mother?"

"Aye," Thor replied, "She'd love to see us. She also wishes to meet our new teammate, Clark! Stephen Strange will open a portal to Themyscira for us tomorrow."

"Thor, did you mention that we were bringing Steve along with us?" Clark asked.

"I did not, I thought it would be a pleasant surprise for her to meet her old friend again unexpectedly," Thor explained.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Clark asked skeptically.

"Of course, what could possibly go wrong?" Thor asked, puffing his chest out.

Steve and Diana shared a glance while Clark scratched the back of his head and looked at Thor skeptically.

_The next day, the Sanctum Sanctorum _

The four heroes stood in one of the massive rooms of the Sanctorum. Steve looked around in amazement at the dark room, its shadows seemingly swirling around just past his vision. Stephen chuckled as he watched him.

"Admiring my home, Captain?" Stephen asked.

"I can't believe something like this has been sitting in the middle of the city for this long," Steve stated.

"Magic is a wonderful thing, Captain," Stephen chuckled.

"So why is this room so empty?" Clark asked.

"It's my portal room," Stephen explained, "This kind of magic requires a lot of space. Speaking of which, I suggest you all take a few steps back."

The four took a few steps back as Stephen stepped forwards, rolling his sleeves back. He held up his hands and began to make a number of gestures while reciting arcane words under his breath. His hands began to glow as an orb of energy appeared in front of him. As he chanted more words, louder this time, the orb grew bigger and bigger. Finally with a final chant, the orb formed into a portal, with an image of a soft sandy beach on the other side.

"Just step right through," he instructed, gesturing to the portal, "I'll reopen it again at the appointed time."

"Also before you leave," Dr. Strange waved his hand in front of Clark and Steve, causing their throats and mouths to glow blue for a few moments before fading "That should make sure you don't run into any communication problems during your stay."

"Thank you, Doctor," Clark thanked him with a nod, before they all stepped through the portal and it closed behind them. Clark looked around in wonder at the island. Gulls circled overhead as the clear water lapping at the white, sandy shore. Looking up at the island, he saw a large city, built into the side of a mountain with its buildings made out of white marble, surrounded by lush forests.

"Wow," Clark said as he would look around in wonder, "This place is beautiful."

"There is a reason it is also called Paradise Island," Thor quipped a smile growing across his face.

"It hasn't changed one bit," Steve said with wonder.

As they talked a group of people walked down the beach towards them. The group was made up of a blond hair, blue eyed woman dressed in a flowing white toga, her hair held back with a golden tiara. Next to her walked a teenage girl, with blue eyes and black hair tied back in a headband. She wore a short, white toga and brown, Greek sandals. They were surrounded by a group of women dress in ancient Greek-style armor, armed with spear and shields.

"Mother!" Diana called, running over to and hugging the blond woman.

"Oh, it has been to long Diana," Hippolyta replied, hugging her daughter.

Diana pulled away, before pulling her younger sister into a hug as well.

"You've grown, little sister," Diana complimented.

"I've been training too," Donna added, "I'll be as good as you soon."

"I'll have to stay on my toes," Diana joked as she smiled at her sister.

"It's good to see you again, Thor," Hippolyta said as she pulled the blond into a hug.

"And I you, my queen," Thor replied, returning the hug, before pulling away and giving Donna one.

"I think you've gotten bigger, Thor!" Donna exclaimed.

"Aye, as have you Donna," Thor laughed. Donna laughed as well before she looked over Thor's shoulder.

"Is this him?" Donna asked, walking up to Clark, "Is this the Superman?"

"My friends call me Clark," Clark replied with a chuckle, extending his hand toward her, "It's good to meet you Donna."

"You too, Clark," Donna replied, shaking his hand.

"So you are the Superman Thor has told me about," Hippolyta said as she approached him.

"It's an honor to meet you, your Highness," Clark greeted, bowing.

"I don't remember men being quite this polite," Hippolyta said with a chuckle.

"And are they all this big?" Donna asked, looking up at him.

"Speaking of your time in Man's World," Diana said nervously, "We brought someone else with us."

"Who?" Hippolyta asked, before turning to look past her daughter at the man standing a few feet away from the group.

"H-Hello Lyta," Steve greeted nervously.

Hippolyta's eyes went wide and her jaw fell slack before the rest of her body went stock still. There were a few silent moments as Hippolyta stared at Steve, who fidgeted under her gaze. Donna looked on with confusion, as their guards stared on in shock as well. Thor, Clark and Diana meanwhile, looked around awkwardly.

"I told you this was a bad idea," Clark whispered harshly as Thor scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Lyta, I…" Steve began as he took a step forward.

"They said you died," Hippolyta whispered, cutting Steve off.

"What?" Steve asked.

"They said you died. Isaiah told me himself," Hippolyta continued, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Hippolyta, I-" Steve tried to say but she cut him off again.

"I was at your funeral," she continued, tears starting to fall down her face, "I wept over your grave."

"Mother," Diana tried to intervene but Hippolyta continued.

"You died, Steve. I mourned you. I wept for you," she cried, tears streaming down her face, "You can't be here, Steve. You're dead."

A determined look on his face, Steve quickly walked up to Hippolyta, taking one of her hands into his while cupping her face with the other.

"You're right," he said, staring straight into her eyes, "I died. Or at least I should have. But I survived, and I came back."

"I'm here, Lyta," he said gently, wiping away a tear streaming down her face, "and I'm alive."

At that, the dignified Queen of the Amazons collapsed into a pack of sobs, pulling Steve into a hug and burying her face into his shoulder. Steve returned the hug, stroking her hair as she cried. After a few moments, Hippolyta pulled away, wiping her eyes. She looked at Steve, who smiled at her. She returned the smile before quickly leaning forward and kissing him on the lips. They stayed like that for a few moments before pulling away.

Looking around, the two realized that everyone else was staring at them. Steve stared at his feet, while Hippolyta covered her face with one hand in embarrassment. After a few awkward moments, Diana pointed her finger at the guards.

"You are dismissed," she ordered without looking at them.

"Yes, Princess," one of the soldiers said before they turned around and hurried off.

"Donna, could you take Clark and show him around?" Diana asked turning to her sister.

"What! No, I-" Donna began to argue but Diana's sharp look cut her off.

"Donna, please," Diana pleaded.

"Alright," Donna sighed, before she turned to Clark, "Come on, Clark, I'll show you around."

"Right," Clark agreed, eager to leave the awkward situation. They two left, making their way up to the city. As they did, Diana turned back to face her mother.

"Mother, I think we need to talk," Diana stated.

_Later_

Donna and Clark walked around the city, Clark admiring the towering, white building's the surrounded them.

"At this is where all our craftwomen work," Donna explained, "Smiths, carpenters, masons. You name it, they work here."

"Impressive," Clark commented as he looked around. As he did, he noticed a number of women looking at him, "I seem to attract a lot of attention."

"We're not exactly used to men around here," Donna replied, "You kind of stick out."

"Understandable," Clark replied.

"So, Mother didn't tell me what Thor told her about you," Donna explained, "What can you do? You must be an impressive warrior if you fight alongside Thor and my sister."

"We'll I'm about as strong, fast and tough as they are, as well as being able to fly. My senses are also extremely acute," Clark explained.

"How acute?" Donna asked.

"I can hear a whisper from miles away and count the feathers on a hummingbird's wing as it flies."

"T-That's amazing," Donna said astonished.

"I can also blow with gale force winds and chilling cold and fire beams of heat from my eyes," Clark continued.

"You're just making that up," Donna accused. Clark smiled at her before blowing a puff of air at her, the force causing her clothes and hair to ripple violently while she struggled to maintain her balance. When it was over she stared at him in surprise.

"Believe me now?" Clark asked with a grin.

"How do you do that?" Donna asked, "Where do you get your powers from?"

"The sun if you believe that," Clark explained.

"You're Helios' son?" she asked, surprised.

"No, I mean I gain my powers by absorbing sunlight," Clark explained, "It's comes from being a Kryptonian."

"Kryptonian?" Donna asked.

"A race of people who lived far away from here in space on the planet Krypton," Clark elaborated.

"They live in space? Like with the stars?" Donna questioned, intrigued.

"Yes, as do many other races," Clark explained.

"Are there other Kryptonians in Man's World?" Donna asked.

"No, I'm the last of my kind left. My world was destroyed many years ago," Clark elaborated.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Donna said, taken aback.

"Thank you, but's alright," Clark reassured her, "I came to terms with it many years ago."

"I understand," Dona stated.

"But as I was saying, all Kryptonians gain their power from the sun," he explained, "So, I'm no Hercules."

As he said that, the surrounding bustle suddenly stopped. Looking around, Clark found all the Amazons had stopped what they were doing and were now openly glaring at him. Looking back at Donna, he saw her staring at him with wide eyes.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked awkwardly.

"You don't know?" she asked. Clark shook his head.

"I'll explain, but we should probably do it somewhere else," she said.

Grabbing Clark by the hand, she led him away, eventually coming to a more secluded, residential area of the city.

"Alright, so what just happened?" Clark asked.

"You mentioned Hercules," Donna explained.

"I take it that's bad?" Clark asked.

"Very," Donna replied.

"Why?" Clark questioned.

"Before Amazon's came to live here, we lived on another island in Greece," Donna explained, "It was during that time that Hercules was performing his famous Twelve Labors. One of those was to steal my mother's girdle, the same item that went on to make my sisters lasso. He came to our island with a group of his men, looking to fight. Mother tried to reason with him and he pretended to listen, tricking her into letting him and his men inside. There they drugged out warriors and captured everyone."

Donna paused as she rubbed one of her arms uncomfortably.

"What happened then, Donna?" Clark asked solemnly.

"The men…raped my mother and the others," Donna finally said, "Raped and tortured them. For days. It was only by the intervention of the goddess Hera that they were able to escape and drive Hercules and his men off. Hercules and Hera have never seen eye to eye, and I know Hera has done terrible things as well but…"

"But she came to your rescue, no matter her motive," Clark finished, "I understand."

"She didn't just save us, she along with the other Olympian goddesses; Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter, Persephone, Hestia and Isis, took pity on us. They brought us here to Themyscira and gave us immortality. They still watch over us to this day," Donna explained.

"Wait, I though Isis was an Egyptian goddess," Clark pointed out.

"She is, but she was an Olympian before marrying Osiris. She is one of Hera's sisters, in the same way that Odin, king of the Aesir, is her brother," Donna explained.

"Thor did tell me that," Clark stated with a nod, "I'm sorry that all happened to your people Donna."

"Well I wasn't alive when it happened, but all the others except Diana were," Donna explained, "They still hold the scars and grudges from when it happened. That's why we wear these bracelets. To remind us of the event and as a promise to ourselves that it will never happen again."

"I understand," Clark said with a nod.

"And just so you know," Donna stated, smiling up at Clark "From what I've seen, you're nothing like Hercules."

Clark could only smile at that.

_Meanwhile_

Diana, Thor, Hippolyta and Steve now sat in one of the large open rooms of the royal palace. They sat on plush couches as Steve and Hippolyta told their story.

"So you crash landed here?" Diana asked Steve.

"Yes," Steve explained, "That's how I met your mother. After we were able to fix the plane, she accompanied me back and helped fight in the war."

"And during that time you…" Diana trailed off.

"Yes," Hippolyta said, reaching over and taking Steve's hand, "We fell in love. I'm sorry I never told you, but…"

"But you thought he had died," Diana finished.

"Yes," Hippolyta said with a nod.

"How did you survive your apparent death, Captain?" Thor asked.

"I'm not sure exactly," Steve explained, "The doctors told me that the Super Soldier Serum kept me alive, causing me to go into suspended animation in the cold north Atlantic waters instead of freezing to death."

"Amazing," Diana commented, "Thank you for sharing this with me, Mother."

"Of course," Hippolyta replied, "I realize this may take some getting used to."

"I'll manage," Diana replied as she stood from the couch, "Come on Thor, let's see if we can find Donna and Clark."

"Right," Thor said with a nod as he stood up and followed Diana as she left.

"Is there something going on between those two?" Steve asked.

"They grew up together and are very close," Hippolyta explained, "She has feelings for him, though she doesn't express them like she used to."

"Does he know?" Steve asked.

"No, I don't believe so," Hippolyta said shaking her head, "So what are things like back in Man's World? It's been so long since I've been there."

"A lot of things have changed Lyta," Steve stated, "and a lot of people we knew are dead and buried."

"Are there any left?" Hippolyta asked.

"Isaiah is still alive. An old man, but alive," Steve explained, as he looked down.

"Did…did his serum affect him like they thought it would?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, he barely recognized me when he saw me," Steve said sadly, "Still, he was able to live a happy life after the war. Has a son, a grandson, even a great grandson."

"That's good," Hippolyta commented.

"Yeah, it is. He also passed along the effects of the serum to his family as well," Steve explained, "His son, Josiah, might experience the same degenerative effects, but his grandson Sam and his great grandson Elijah won't."

"You mean…?" Hippolyta began to ask.

"They're just like me," Steve finished, "Perfect human specimens. Super soldiers. To say that people are interested in his family would be an understatement. Sam is currently working with S.H.I.E.L.D. like his father did before him."

"S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Hippolyta asked.

"It's an international organization set up after the war ended. They essentially police the world and keep it safe from threats," Steve explained, "They've been who I've been living with these past few months. I've even helped them with some operations."

"So, are there others still around?" Hippolyta asked.

"Namor is apparently still out there, though Atlantis became isolationist again after the war ended. No one's even heard from him in years," Steve said, "Logan's still around to, living in Canada. He's…different now."

"Different?" she asked, "How so?"

"After the war, the rest of the Commandos got taken in by some sort of…program. Weapon X it was called. They wanted people who were born with special gifts, mutants they're called now. People like Logan, Victor and David. They did things to them, Lyta. Horrible things. They grafted this metal to Logan's bones, and warped Victor's mind. I don't even know what happened to David. They used them as living weapons, at least until Logan broke loose."

"What happened to them?" Hippolyta asked, shocked.

"Logan went on the run, been trying to live under the radar ever since," Steve explained, "Victor has become a bloodthirsty killer with a sick obsession with Logan. David just disappeared."

"That's horrible," Hippolyta whispered.

"It is," Steve nodded solemnly, before a grin spread across his face, "But things aren't all bad for Logan."

"How so?" Hippolyta asked.

"He has a daughter," Steve stated, smiling at her.

"No," she gasped, but Steve just nodded his head, "That poor girl."

"She's a spunky gal," Steve stated, "She's a chip off the old block."

"Who's her mother?" Hippolyta asked.

"I'm not sure. She doesn't seem to be around anymore from what I can tell," Steve replied.

"That's a shame," Hippolyta replied, "No girl should be without her mother."

_Later_

Thor and Diana were standing on one of the many balcony of the palace, looking over the water surrounding the island. Thor rested on his elbows as Diana leaned on her hands, both enjoying the sight as the sun set in front of them.

"I forgot how beautiful it could be here," Thor said as he looked out onto the ocean.

"Yes," Diana replied, "Being surrounded by the glass and steel of Man's World makes you forget the beauty of nature."

Thor glanced at Diana, noticing the slightly troubled look on her face.

"Are you still troubled by this revelation of a relationship between your Mother and the Captain?" Thor asked.

"It's…alarming," she replied.

"Aye, the meeting of lovers after a long time can be…strenuous on all involved," Thor mused.

"You're thinking about Sif, aren't you?" she said with a forced smirk.

"Aye," Thor replied with a nod, before turning back to the sunset, "As you know, she did not take my leaving well. I feel if we were to meet again, it would not be as pleasant as either of us would like."

"People change," Diana stated simply.

"Yes, but I still care for her deeply," he explained. Diana looked to the side uncomfortably.

"These things are all just so confusing," Thor commented with a sigh.

"Yes," Diana agreed, half lost in thought, "They are."

_Meanwhile_

Clark and Donna stood on one of the cliff edges that stuck out of the mountain that dominated the island, watching the sunset.

"You're right, Donna," Clark said, "This is a lovely sight."

"I should know. I've only seen it a thousand times," she said with a sigh.

"That sounded a bit resentful," Clark observed.

"It's just, I've been here my entire life," Donna explained, "I've overturned every rock and climbed every tree."

"You want to go someplace new," Clark stated.

"I do," Donna agreed, "It's been years since Thor and Diana went to Man's World. Shouldn't that prove that it isn't as bad as we thought? I'm not suggesting that we come out of hiding, it's just…I want to see it. I'm the only one who's never been off the island now."

"When I was your age, I lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere," Clark explained, "I wanted to see the world too. And well, look where I am now."

Donna smirked as she listened to his story.

"What I'm saying is it's going to happen," Clark explained, "Someday, somehow, you're going to get off this island and see the world."

"Thanks Clark," Donna said with a smile, "I see why Thor and Diana like you so much."

Clark smiled at that before they both turned to watch the sunset.

"So, your friend, Peter?" she asked, "Is it true that my sister has been teaching him?"

"Yes," Clark stated, "She been doing a heck of a job of it too, far as I can tell."

"Maybe she should give him some bracelets," Donna mused.

"Why would she do that?" Clark asked.

"Every Amazonian warrior wears them," Donna explained, "And since he's being taught by my sister, who I might add is probably the best warrior we've ever had, I think he deserves them."

"Sounds like something you should bring up with your sister," Clark observed.

"Yeah," she agreed, "You think he's good enough to defend your city while you're gone?"

"Peter's a tough guy," Clark replied, "Besides, it's only a day, I doubt any real trouble could happen."

A/N: So this was more character development then action, hope you guys liked it. A lot of the things that got revealed in this chapter actually don't deal with the overall story of Metropolis, but that's part of having building a universe I suppose. Still, I hope you guys liked it. Please review! Later, True Believers!


	14. The Task at Hand

**Chapter 14: The Task at Hand**

_Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,_

_It shall be still in strictest measure even_

_To that same lot, however mean or high,_

_Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven;_

_All is, if I have grace to use it so,_

_As ever in my great Taskmaster's eye._

-John Milton, "How Soon Hath Time"

_November 5__th__, 2012, Metropolis_

"You know, Pete," Lois commented as she observed the pictures in the newspaper in front of her, "I still can't figure out how you got these pictures."

"Yeah Peter," Jimmy spoke up as he looked as well, "We were in school when that fight was happening. Did you sneak out?"

"Kind of," Peter said scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, "MJ covered for me."

"That's pretty dedicated of you Pete," Lois said, before rolling up the newspaper and bopping him on the head with it, "Still don't be a fool, stay in school. No more skipping classes for hot scoops."

"Alright," Peter replied with a laugh. Jimmy for his part only grumbled under his breath as he looked at the pictures Peter had gotten.

"Where's my coffee!" a loud voice bellowed as Jameson stormed out of his office.

"Right here, Mr. Jameson!" Betty called as she hurried over to where Jameson was standing.

"About time," he growled before taking a swig and almost immediately spitting it out, "You trying to make me a diabetic, Brant! Seems like it with all the sugar you put in here. I take it my coffee black! Prince would know that! Where is she anyway?"

"She took a day off for family, Mr. Jameson," Betty explained.

"Family?" Jameson spat, "Can't find any honest work now days. She'd be fired if that didn't mean I'd have to deal with you as a secretary, Brant. Now get me some coffee and do it right this time!"

"You owe me big for this, Diana," Betty grumbled as she scurried away.

"Lane!" Jameson shouted as he stomped over to the three of them, "Where's Kent?"

"Smallville took a personal day, JJ," Lois explained calmly.

"Does nobody work here anymore!" Jameson demanded.

"What do you need, JJ?" Lois asked, ignoring his outburst.

"Maybe you're the one I should be bringing this to anyways," Jameson grunted, "You were the one who broke the story anyhow."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"People want to hear more about our resident so called heroes," Jameson explained, showing the three the front page of the paper which had a picture depicting Superman, Wonder Woman, Thor and Spider-Man standing together.

"Specifically, they want to know more about this one," he said, pointing towards Spider-Man.

"Spider-Man?" Peter asked.

"Yeah that one," Jameson replied gruffly, "God knows why."

"You have a problem with Spider-Man, JJ?" Lois asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't trust him," Jameson grunted, "What's with the mask? What's he got to hide?"

"His identity?" Lois offered, "I doubt they're going to be making any friends in the criminal underworld. I mean didn't Superman stop a bank robbery a few weeks ago? They're not around just to stop disasters and fight monsters."

"What's your point, Lane?" Jameson asked gruffly.

"The point is, he probably has people he wants to protect, and from what I've seen, he's the only one of them who's not bulletproof," Lois explained.

"I don't know, Lane," Jameson replied, "He still rubs me the wrong way."

"Whatever you say, JJ," Lois said with a sigh, "I'll do my best to get some info on them, with Spider-Man as the priority. But I warn you, these guys have been practically ghosts since they first showed up, no one can get anything other than glances of them."

"Well, if anyone can do it, it's you Lane," Jameson said simply before walking away.

"You got that right," Lois replied with a smirk, before turning to Jimmy and Peter, "You two should probably take off, I doubt I'll be running into any superheroes tonight."

Jimmy and Peter nodded before grabbing their stuff and heading out. As they got into the elevator, Jimmy turned to Peter.

"Hey Peter," he said, "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure, Jimmy," Peter replied, "What is it."

"What's going on between you and MJ?" Jimmy asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked, caught off guard.

"You seem to be getting really close lately," Jimmy explained.

"MJ and I have always been close," Peter replied.

"But you seem a lot closer is all," Jimmy persisted, "You told me a few month ago that you saw her like a sister. What changed?"

"I don't know Jimmy," Peter replied with a sigh, "After my uncle died, she was really there for me. I'm not sure how I feel for her now, or how she feels for me. I'm sorry, I know you really like her."

"It's alright," Jimmy replied with a sigh, "I guess I just wish things were different."

"Hey, cheer up man," Peter stated, patting him on the shoulder, "How about I show you how I got some of those pictures. Maybe you'll get the chance to cover a superhero battle of your own someday."

"Thanks Peter," Jimmy said with a smile, "I'd like that."

_Later_

"Are you sure we're allowed to be up here?" Jimmy asked nervously as he looked over the edge of the building they were on. Looking down, he saw traffic moving about on the city street below, unable to see the people do to the height.

"Don't sweat it, Jimmy," Peter replied, "Besides, look at this view."

"It is pretty good," Jimmy admitted before raising his camera up to his face and looking through the viewer at the surrounding buildings. He snapped a few pictures as he looked around at the buildings, before something caught his eye.

"Hey Peter, check this out," Jimmy said as he continued to look through his camera.

"What is it?" Peter asked as he looked through his as well, looking in the direction Jimmy was.

"Do you see that guy?" Jimmy asked, "On the rooftop over there."

Looking, Peter saw the man in question and he looked like nothing but bad news. He wore some kind of body suit with a harness that was equipped with practically a whole armory worth of weapons. What really threw Peter was the skull-like mask he wore.

"I don't like the look of that guy, Peter," Jimmy whispered.

"Neither do I," Peter said, watching the man as he pulled out what looked like a trigger. As he saw it, Peter's spider-sense went crazy.

"Jimmy, get down!" he yelled as he tackled his friend to the ground. As he did, the man pushed the button, causing the middle section of the building he was on to erupt in a fiery explosion.

"Holy crap!" Jimmy cried as he stood up and looked at the destruction. Multiple levels of the building were burning as debris fell down onto the unsuspecting people below.

"Jimmy," Peter said as he stood up, "Stay here."

"Where are you going?" Jimmy asked.

"I'm going to get help," Peter replied as he made his way towards the door, before he turned back to Jimmy and smiled, "Who knows, this might be your chance to get pictures for something big."

Jimmy smiled at him before turning back and snapping some pictures.

_A few minutes later_

Spider-Man swung across and between the buildings, eventually coming to the site of the explosion. Police and fire fighters had already appeared on the scene. Looking for the man responsible, Peter noticed that he was still standing on the roof, as if he were waiting for something.

"I don't like the look of this at all," Peter said to himself before he swung over. He landed behind the man, a few feet away from him.

"Hey Skeletor," he called, "Look I get it, you get a pink slip, you can't find another job, you're angry. But blowing up a part of a building, empty or not, is no way to go about working it out."

"It is a good way to catch someone's attention though," the man replied with a slight Brooklyn accent as he turned to face Spider-Man. A chill ran down Peter's spine as his mask's white eyes met the man's red.

"You were trying to catch my attention?" Spider-Man asked.

"Oh yeah, and it worked like a charm. Blow up a part of a building and in you swing, eager to play the hero," he explained, "To be honest, I was worried that your friends might show up too, but seems like they're out of town."

"You were trying to get my attention?" Spider-Man asked, shocked.

"Yep, and now that I've got it, let's see what you can do," the man said before he drew a pistol and pointed it at him. As he did, Spider-Man's spider sense went crazy as things seemed to slow down. As the man pulled the trigger, he dodged to the side, avoiding the bullet. He followed up by rolling across the ground to avoid a second shot. Rolling onto his chest, he pushed himself up into the air to avoid a third, before flipping over the man and landing behind him. The man swung his arm around to point his gun at Spider-Man but he grabbed the man's arm, stopping its swing. The man reacted by kicking at him, but Spider-Man was quick enough to grab his leg. Hurling him up, Spider-Man flipped the man into the air. Curling his body up as he flew, the man flipped through the air, before landing facing Spider-Man, unfazed.

Drawing his second handgun, he pointed them both at Spider-Man and opened fire. Dropping to his knees and laying back, Spider-Man managed to dodge the first salvo of bullets. Before the man could adjust his aim, Spider-Man shot two weblines behind him, before pulling himself over to the man along the ground. Before the man could react, Spider-Man was right under him. Flipping over, Spider-Man planted both hands on the ground and kicked both feet into the man's chest launching him into the air. As the man flew, Spider-Man followed up by pushing off the ground with his hands and flying into the air. Flipping through the air, he flew above the man before driving his knee into the man's chest, smashing him back onto the rooftop as Spider-Man landed a few feet away.

The man shook his head as he pushed himself to his feet, reaching for his guns again. As he did, Spider-Man shot out two globs of web, hitting the guns and securing them to the ground.

"Nice trick," the man said with a chuckle, "Let me show you some of mine."

Reaching onto his belt, he pulled out a grenade and tossed it at Spider-Man. Spider-Man covered his eyes as the grenade went off with a bright flash. Running at Spider-Man, he fell to his knees and leaned back, sliding along the ground. As he reached Spider-Man, he flipped around before planting his hands and driving both of his feet into Spider-Man's chest, knocking him into the air. As Spider-Man flew through the air, the man pushed off the ground with his hands and flipping through the air. As he flipped over Spider-Man, he drove his knee into Spider-Man's chest, slamming him into the ground.

"Well I guess that was technically your trick," the man said with a chuckle as he landed, "But it's mine now."

"How did you do that?" Peter asked. He had trained for days to get the coordination for that down.

"I have photographic reflexes. Anything that I see you do, I can do as well," the man explained, "That's why people call me Taskmaster."

Reaching up, he drew his katana from the sheath on his back, the light from the fires below glinting off the blade.

"Let me show you exactly what that entails," he said sinisterly, before he rushed at Spider-Man. As Taskmaster rushed at him, Spider-Man fired two web globs at him. Slashing his sword through the air, Taskmaster cut the globs to shreds as he continued his charge without breaking stride. Peter's eyes widened in surprise behind his mask as his spider sense kicked in and he leaned back out of the way of Taskmaster's sword. Backflipping out of the way, he tried to kick the sword out of Taskmaster's hands. Instead, Taskmaster tossed the sword into the air, and dodged Spider-Man's attack. As Spider-Man righted himself, Taskmaster kicked him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. As Spider-Man rolled to the stop, Taskmaster reached out and caught his sword as it fell back to earth.

"Is that really the best you got?" Taskmaster taunted.

"Not even close, Tasky," Spider-Man replied as he hopped back to his feet and slid into a fighting stance.

"Then show me," Taskmaster stated as he slid into a fighting stance of his own, before making a 'come here' movement with his free hand.

Meanwhile, on the other skyscraper, Jimmy took a moment from rapidly snapping photos of the battle happening before him to pull out his cellphone.

"Hey, Lois? Yeah, it's Jimmy," he said into the phone, "I think you'll want to get down to 5th street. Like now."

_Meanwhile_

Spider-Man rolled to his feet near the edge of the building as Taskmaster swung his sword at him again. Ducking underneath another swing, Spider-Man rolled behind Taskmaster before kicking him in the back, causing him to stumble over the ledge. Taskmaster let out a short cry of surprise, before he flipped around and grabbed the edge of the roof with his free hand.

"It's over, Tasky," Spider-Man said as he kneeled down and reached for the other man, "Drop the sword and give me your hand."

"You think you can beat me that easy, Web-Slinger?" Taskmaster taunted, "Think again."

Flipping his sword around, he buried the ultra-sharp blade into the concrete of the building before standing on the flat of the blade and grabbing Spider-Man's arm with his now free hand. With a powerful pull, he yanked the unsuspecting Spider-Man off the roof, before flipping him around and tossing him through a window. The window shattered into hundreds of pieces, which scattered across the ground as Spider-Man rolled into an office complex. A second later, Taskmaster flipped in, landing perfectly in front of the window, the light from the fire below illuminating him. Spider-Man coughed as he stood up, the smoke rising from the burning floors below.

"You should be careful, Web-Slinger," Taskmaster joked, "Second hand smoke can kill you."

"Let me guess," Spider-Man said as he coughed again, "Filters in your mask?"

"Yeah," Taskmaster replied as he took a mockingly deep breath, "You should really invest in these things. Could save your life someday."

"I'll keep that in mind," Spider-Man said dryly.

"Now where were we?" Taskmaster asked, "Oh right."

Reaching to his belt, he grabbed a pair of throwing knives before hurling them at Spider-Man. Flipping backwards, Spider-Man managed to dodge the knives before he shot another glob of webbing at Taskmaster, who easily bisected it with his sword as well. Peter was forced to dodge out of the way again as Taskmaster stabbed at him with the sword.

"Geez, what is that sword made out of?" Peter questioned as he hopped away from Taskmaster.

"Advanced steel alloy," Taskmaster replied with a shrug, "Sharpened to the point where it can cut through damn near anything, like those little webs of yours."

"Guess we'll have to try something different then," Spider-Man said as he leapt at Taskmaster. Taskmaster responded by holding his sword up towards Spider-Man, its edge pointing at him. Before he landed though, Spider-Man shot a webline at the ceiling and pulled himself back into the air and dropping behind Taskmaster. Before the masked man could react, Spider-Man drove his fist into the man's back, forcing him to arch it. As he did, Spider-Man kneed him in the back, forcing him into the air. As Taskmaster floated up, Spider-Man grabbed his legs before slamming him face first against the ground. As Taskmaster groaned in pain, Spider-Man tossed him up in the air, upside down, before kicking him in the stomach, sending Taskmaster flying through the air and through a wall on the other side of the room. As Spider-Man walked over to it, he picked up Taskmaster's dropped sword before tossing it over to a wall and stuck it to the wall with his webbing. Stepping through the wall, Spider-Man found Taskmaster picking himself up.

"Ready to give up now?" Spider-Man asked hopefully.

"I got a few more tricks up my sleeve," Taskmaster replied before reaching to his belt and tossing a grenade at Spider-Man. His spider-sense going crazy, he leapt into the air, away from the resulting explosion. As he flew through the air, he aimed a kick at Taskmaster's head. Taskmaster responded by reaching to his belt and grabbing another item, which resembled a metal bracer. Quickly slipping it over her wrist, he held his arm up towards Spider-Man and pushed a button on it. As soon as he did, the bracer expanded into a circular metal shield. Taskmaster braced himself as Spider-Man kicked against the shield before he pushed Spider-Man off, forcing him to flip around and land a few feet away.

"Where do you get this stuff?" Spider-Man questioned with a hint of exasperation.

"I have good suppliers," Taskmaster replied, before he hurled the shield at Spider-Man like a disk. Spider-Man quickly leaned out of the way of the attack, the shield whizzing past him.

"Been watching old war serials, huh?" Spider-Man asked.

"I've picked up a few tricks here and there," he replied with a chuckle. As he did, the shield ricocheted off two of the walls before bouncing back towards Spider-Man and hitting him in the back of the head. After hitting him, it bounced into the air where Taskmaster grabbed it and landed, before hitting Spider-Man on the side of the head with it, sending him sprawling. As Spider-Man, tried to recover, Taskmaster drew a knife and approached him.

As he stabbed at him, Spider-Man rolled to the side, avoiding the attack. Hopping to his feet, he kicked the knife out of Taskmaster's hand, before backhanding him, sending him stumbling away. Recovering, Taskmaster threw his shield at Spider-Man, but he dodged it before firing webbing at it, sticking it to a wall.

Spider-Man rushed at the now weaponless Taskmaster, hoping to put an end to the fight. Taskmaster had other plans though as he turned towards Spider-Man and sent a backhand at him. As he did, Taskmaster squeezed a hidden switch in his glove, causing a trio of blades to shoot out from his glove near the knuckles of his glove. The blades cut across Spider-Man's chest, ripping through his outfit and drawing blood. Spider-Man cried out in pain as he quickly hopped away.

"A trick I picked up from someone I used to work with," Taskmaster explained as Spider-Man held a hand to his chest, trying to stem the bleeding.

"I think we're done here," Taskmaster said simply as he looked at the claw, Spider-Man's blood running down the blade.

"What?" Spider-Man asked in confusion.

Taskmaster reached to his belt again and pulled out another grenade, before tossing it on the ground, where it exploded with a bright flash and a loud bang. Spider-Man's ears rang as dots danced in front of his eyes. When they finally did clear, he found that Taskmaster had disappeared. Looking over to his side, he saw that the man's shield had been cut loose and was gone too. He suspected he'd fine the other weapon's missing as well.

"What the hell was that about?" Spider-Man asked himself before he hissed again as he touched his wound.

_Later_

Spider-Man swung down to the city street where the emergency personal had gathered.

"Spider-Man!" one of the police officers called in surprise, "Are you alright?"

"Just a flesh wound," Spider-Man replied, trying to ignore the stinging feeling coming from his wounds, "Is everyone alright down here?"

"Yeah, there were a couple of janitors and security guards inside," the police officer explained, "No one was on those floors or above them though, so they got out alright. The firemen said they'll get the fire under control soon enough. We just can't figure out why someone would do this. The explosion wasn't powerful enough to destroy the building and as far as we can tell, there wasn't anything important on the floors that were destroyed. We can't make heads or tails of this."

"The explosion was set off by a criminal named Taskmaster. He wore a full body jumpsuit and a mask shaped like a skull," Spider-Man said as he subconsciously scratched his chest, "As for why he did it, I can't really say either."

"We'll put an APB out for him," the officer said, "Thanks for your help, Spider-Man."

Spider-Man nodded and turned to leave. As he did, he saw someone waving to him from the other side of the police barricade.

"Spider-Man!" Lois called to him, "Hey, Spider-Man!"

Peter smirked under his mask before he turned and walked over to the barricade.

"Lois Lane?" he asked, pointing at her.

"Uh, yeah," Lois replied, slightly surprised by his willingness to talk to her.

"You're the one who did the story of my fight with Electro for the Daily Planet, right?" he questioned.

"Yeah, that was me," Lois replied, "Hope you don't mind me using that name either."

"Don't worry about it," Spider-Man said as he waved at her dismissively, "Just glad I can inspire people someway. So what can I do for you?"

"Well I was hoping I could get an interview with you," she explained.

"Eh, now's a bad time, but I'd love to reschedule," Spider-Man replied as he touched the wounds on his chest again.

"I understand," Lois replied, "How do I contact you though?"

"Don't worry," Spider-Man replied with a chuckle, "Just show up on the Daily Planet roof tomorrow night. Say eight?"

"I'll be there," Lois said with a smile and a nod, "Can I at least get some idea of what happened here?"

"A criminal named Taskmaster set off some explosives, apparently wanted my attention," Spider-Man explained.

"Why's that?" Lois asked.

"I plan to find out," Spider-Man said resolutely, before turning and swinging off, "See you tomorrow!"

_The next day, Lexcorp HQ, Lex's office_

"You made quite the stir, Taskmaster," Lex spoke as he watched a news report on his private screen.

"You didn't pay me to be discrete," Taskmaster explained, "And don't worry, they'll never track me or my employer down. Nor will they ever connect you to any of this."

"They had better not," Lex said dangerously.

"Speaking of payment," Taskmaster trailed off.

"The money has been wired to the account you requested," Lex said with a nod.

"Good, then I guess we're done here," Taskmaster said simply as he stood up, "enjoy your spider DNA."

"And what do you plan to do with what you've learned, Taskmaster?" Lex asked as Taskmaster made his way to the door.

"Got some new moves," Taskmaster said with a shrug, before he lifted up his hand and put it in the position that Spider-Man used to shoot his webs, "Just need the right equipment."

_Meanwhile_

"Stop touching it!" MJ chided as Peter scratched at his chest as they made their way to school.

"Sorry," Peter replied with a sigh.

"You better be," she shot back, "I'm not getting up at one in the morning to bandage your chest again."

"Thanks again for that," Peter thanked her.

"Don't worry about it," she said with a smile, "Just don't let it happen again."

"I'll try not to," he replied.

As they continued to walk, they saw Jimmy running up to them, his camera in hand.

"Guys!" he shouted, waving at them, "Hey guys!"

"Hey, Jimmy," Peter greeted him as MJ smiled at him, "What's up?"

"What happened to you last night, Peter?" Jimmy asked, as he caught his breath, "You missed an awesome fight!"

"I went to go get help and, the police wouldn't let me back to the building you were in," Peter lied quickly.

"Yeah, Lois said something about them giving her a hard time," Jimmy said thoughtfully as Peter sighed inwardly.

"So you want to see some of the pictures I took?" Jimmy asked.

"Sure," MJ answered with a smile as Peter nodded. Turning his camera towards them, he showed Peter and MJ the various pictures he managed to get of Spider-Man and Taskmaster's fight, along with a few close ups when he was talking to Lois.

"Wow, these are really good, Jimmy," MJ congratulated him.

"Thanks. I couldn't have done it if Peter had brought me to the right place at the right time," Jimmy explained before playfully hitting Peter in the chest, causing Peter to let out a sharp cry of pain.

"Whoa, Peter are you alright?" Jimmy asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I just got hurt last night," Peter explained quickly.

"Hurt?" Jimmy questioned, "How?"

"Got shoved by a fire fighter while watching the fight," Peter explained quickly, "No big deal."

"I thought you said you couldn't get past the police barricade," Jimmy observed, suspicious.

"What?" Peter asked, caught off guard, "Um…yeah but before that…"

Before he could continue, Jimmy walked up to him with a determined look on his face. Grabbing Peter's shirt, he lifted it up, revealing Peter's bandaged chest.

"Got shoved huh?" Jimmy asked, before reaching for the bandage.

"Jimmy don't!" MJ cried, reaching her hand out to stop him, but Jimmy pulled the bandage to the side, causing Peter to his in pain as three long scratches on his chest were revealed.

"Oh my god," Jimmy said, his look of suspicion turning to shock, "I can't believe it."

"Jimmy, I can explain," Peter began as Jimmy backed away, shaking his head in astonishment.

"I can't believe this," Jimmy repeated before turning to look at MJ, "You knew, didn't you?"

"Knew what?" MJ asked nervously.

"That Peter is Spider-Man," Jimmy stated, his eyes narrowing.

A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter, it was a blast to write! Please review! Later True Believers!


	15. What Fools These Mortals Be

**Chapter 15: What Fools These Mortals Be**

_Up and down, up and down, _

_I will lead them up and down. _

_I am feared in field and town. _

_Goblin lead them up and down._

-Puck, _A Midsummer's Night Dream_

Peter and MJ shared a look of surprise and panic as Jimmy continued to glare at them accusingly. Acting fast, Peter quickly grabbed both of their arms before dragging them into a nearby alleyway.

"Alright Jimmy, let me explain," Peter began in a hushed tone.

"So are you Spider-Man?" Jimmy asked. Peter looked at him for a moment, not sure if his friend was being serious, before he quickly grabbed his friend by the arms, lifted him into the air, and then quickly set him back down.

"Ok, so you are Spider-Man," Jimmy stated as Peter gave him a "well, duh" look, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry Jimmy," Peter apologized as he moved away from him, "It was better that as few people as possible knew."

"So you couldn't trust me?" Jimmy asked, turning to MJ, "Neither of you could?"

"I do trust you," Peter replied, before gesturing to MJ, "We both do."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Jimmy asked again.

"Well other then what I just said," Peter explained, "You can't keep a secret, Jimmy. Like at all."

"What?" Jimmy asked surprised, "What are you talking about?"

"Jimmy, do you remember Gwen's "surprise" party in the seventh grade?" MJ asked.

"Maybe," Jimmy replied as a look of realization crossed his face.

"That's why we didn't come to you with this secret," Peter explained.

"Sorry," Jimmy said scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"But, now you know," Peter stated, "So I have to trust you to keep this secret."

"You can trust me," Jimmy asserted.

"That's not what I'm worried about Jimmy," Peter said with a sigh.

"What are you worried about then?" Jimmy asked with confusion.

"That you work with Lois Lane," Peter said bluntly.

"…Oh," Jimmy said as the realization dawned on him.

"Yeah, so now I have you, who can barely keep a secret, working with one of the best reporters in the entire city," Peter said with a sigh.

"Don't worry Peter, you can trust me," Jimmy said willfully.

"I'm sure I can," Peter replied with a smile.

"So can I come on patrol with you sometime?" Jimmy asked eagerly.

"No," Peter said sternly as MJ placed her face in her hand, "Now come on, we don't want to be late for school."

"Right," Jimmy said, a grin spreading across his face as they made their way out of the alley, "Oh man, this is just so cool, I'm friends with a superhero!"

"Jimmy!" Peter and MJ whispered harshly at the same time.

"Oops, sorry," Jimmy apologized.

_That night, New York City, Baxter Building_

A man stepped off of the elevator as it opened on a floor deep under the city streets revealing the long, pristine, metallic hallways that made up most of the Baxter building. He was a man of thin build and average height, with short brown hair and brown eyes. He was dressed in a white, button down shirt and brown pants, with brown shoes and a brown leather belt around his waist. He studied a chart as he walked towards a large imposing door. Stopping in front of it, he put his eyes up to a retinal scanner.

"Welcome, Dr. Samson," a computerized voice stated as the door slid open. Straightening back up, Reed walked through the door and down a long metal hallway. As he walked, he reached a large window looking into another room. Inside the room sat another man, older than him, dressed in a white t-shirt and loose, white, cotton pants. Out of his back came four mechanical arms, which had been secured to the walls, locking him in his seat in the middle of the room. His brown hair was messy and his eyes were obscured by dark glasses.

"Good evening, Dr. Octavius," Samson greeted as he walked up to the glass.

"Good evening, Dr. Samson," Otto replied, looking up at him.

"How are we today?" Samson asked.

"Same as always," Otto replied, "Tired. Frustrated. Vengeful."

"Doctor," Samson said as a sad look crossed his face, "You can't keep dwelling on this. You have to understand, with the inhibitor you invented was destroyed in the accident, the AI's of your arms are warping your perceptions."

"You're saying that as if without my arms having been grafted to my spine I would not want to kill the men who murdered my wife," Otto growled.

"All of your close friends have told me you aren't a violent man, Otto," Samson stated.

"Things change," Otto said simply as he looked away from Samson, "I think we're done here. I'm sure Victor is feeling similar today."

Samson sighed as he turned and walked away from the glass, heading further down the hallway. He came to another large window, this one obscured by large amounts of condensation. Reaching up, Samson wiped away some of the condensation, revealing the room with in. Inside were two people, a man and a woman, along with two simple cots.

The man was dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of white cotton pants. His skin was a light blue as if it was very cold, and his head was completely hairless. He glared up at Samson with icy blue eyes. Sitting next to him was a woman, her arms around his. She also wore the same clothes as the man, and had blue skin like him. She also had icy blue eyes and short, dark blue hair that almost seemed a solid, spikey mass.

"Dr. Fries, Ms. Lincoln," Samson greeted, "How are we today?"

"Victor doesn't feel like talking much today," the woman said, stroking the man's head, "He's consumed with thoughts of my dearly departed sister."

"The only way he can heal from it is by talking about it, Louise," Samson explained.

"Not today, Doctor," she pleaded, "Not today."

"Very well," Sampson said with a sigh before he continued down the hall. He next came to two windows on either side of the hall. Both had large solar lamps shinning on them, illuminating the rooms. The room on his left was filled with a pinkish mist while the one on his right was almost completely overrun with vines. Samson walked up to the one on his left.

"Dr. Isley?" he asked, tapping on the glass.

Slowly, a figure emerged from the fog before a stunningly beautiful woman walked into view. She was completely nude, with her long, rose red hair falling down her back and chest in tangles, obscuring her breasts. Her eyes were a deep green and her skin had a greenish tint to it.

"Hello Leo," she greeted him with a sultry tone.

"Dr. Isley, we gave you those clothes for a reason," Samson said as he averted his eyes, a slight blush on his face.

"Oh but they're so stifling," she complained, "Besides, I can tell that you like it."

"Dr. Isley, please," Samson pleaded, "I'm here to try and help you with your problems."

"Problems?" Pamela asked, "I have no problems Leo. I've been reborn into exactly what I've always wanted to be. I'm sure Jason agrees."

As she said this, the plants in the other cell began to shift, forming a face.

"Yes," the face said with a whispering voice, "I've never felt more alive."

"Dr. Woodrue, you're barely a man anymore," Samson pointed out.

"Who wants to be a mere man when you can be a primal force of nature?" Jason asked with a dark chuckle.

Samson shook his head with a sigh, before he turned and walked away.

"Come back soon, Leo!" Pamela called with a chuckle.

Walking through the security door, Samson walked up to the elevator and summoned it. He stepped on as it arrived, finding Reed Richards inside.

"Dr. Richards," Samson greeted him as the doors closed.

"Dr. Samson," Reed returned the greeting with a smile, "How are your patients doing?"

"Same as they have been since they got here," Samson said with a sigh, "I just can't seem to reach any of them. Otto is consumed by anger over the loss of his wife, and the AI's of his arms are affecting his mind. The damage done to them in the accident makes it so we can't install a new inhibitor without removing them and I'm not sure we can do that without seriously harming Otto."

"What about Dr. Fries?" Reed asked.

"He's more depressed then angry, though I can still see an underlying anger there," Samson explained, "As for Louise, the accident damaged her psyche severely. She seems to have latched on to Victor, feeling comfort in their shared condition and trying to fill the void that her sister left. Meanwhile, Dr. Isley's and Dr. Woodrue's conditions have completely altered their personalities. I fear they might be losing their touch with humanity, losing their empathy."

"Seems like you have a lot of work on your hands," Reed mused.

"They are all severely damaged by the trauma, it may take years for me to help them," Samson said with a sigh.

Suddenly, the elevator shook as an explosion sounded above them.

"What was that!" Samson exclaimed.

"Nothing good," Reed replied as a serious look crossed his face.

_A few minutes earlier_

Johnny let out a whoop of joy as he flew through the air over the skyline of New York City, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. Landing on a rooftop, he turned off his powers and looked over the city.

"That never get old," he laughed as he flexed his muscles. As he did, he saw something moving over the city skyline. Looking at it closer, he realized whatever it was, it was only roughly human sized and rocket propelled, judging by the smoke trailing behind it.

"Well you don't see that every day," Johnny commented before running to the edge of the building and leaping off, "Flame on!"

As he burst into flame, Johnny flew up to towards the object. As he got closer, he could make it out better and was startled by what he saw. Flying before him was a man, standing on what appeared to be some sort of miniature jet. The vehicle was vaguely bat-shaped, equipped with a multitude of weapons and powered by a single large engine on its rear.

It was the man who was riding it that surprised Johnny the most though. He appeared to have green skin that looked wrinkled and cracked. His nose was long and hooked and from what Johnny could see, his ears were pointed. His eyes glowed an eerie yellow. He wore a purple tunic with a hood that was pulled over his head, shadowing his features, along with a pair of similar colored pants. He wore a tattered purple cape that fluttered behind him as he flew. He also wore a pair of purple gloves that came up to his elbow and were armor plated along the knuckles and lower arm. He also wore a pair of armored boots and shin guards as well. A belt with numerous pouches hung from his waist.

"Hey buddy!" Johnny called, catching the man's attention, "I dig your ride! Though the costume is a little weird. Don't you know Halloween was last month?"

"Well, if it isn't Johnny Storm, the new Human Torch," the man commented with a gravelly voice that sent a chill down Johnny's spine, "Just the man I was looking for."

"Excuse me?" Johnny asked, surprised, "And who are you supposed to be, the Emerald Elf?"

"Cute. Catch kid," the man said as he reached into his belt before tossing an object to Johnny. Johnny grabbed the object and looked at it. It was a small orange sphere with a few blinking lights on it. Looking closer at it, he could see a jack o'lantern face painted on it.

"What the-" Johnny began before the object suddenly exploded, the smoke a sickly green and the sound a cross between a firecracker and a hideous laugh. The force sent Johnny flying through the air before landing and rolling across a rooftop.

"One down, three to go," the man said before flying off and letting loose a cackle that echoed across the city. Johnny groaned as he pushed himself up, watching the man flying away, heading towards the Baxter Building.

"That can't be good," Johnny mumbled as he kept trying to pick himself up.

The man laughed as he flew down to the first floor of the building, before firing a rocket at it, blowing the front door open. Alarms sounded as he flew in, while a number of guards, dressed in Kevlar armor and armed with automatic weapons, rushed into the room.

"Freeze!" one of the guards yelled.

"No, it's far too cold for that," the man chuckled, "How about we heat things up?"

As he said that, he stepped on a button on his glider, causing two barrels to pop out the front before flames shot out at the guards. The guards recoiled from the attack, allowing the man to leap off his glider and rush at the men. Leaping through the smoke, he kicked one of the guards in the chest, sending him flying through the air and into a group of other guards, knocking them all down. Turning to another recovering guard, he punched the man in the face, knocking his helmet off. As the guard stumbled away, the man punched him in the gut, causing him to double over, before he grabbed him and threw him across the room into another group of guards, knocking them down as well.

Whirling around, the man reached into his pockets and retrieved a pair of three-pointed blades, before hurling them at the guards. The blades whirled through the air, burying themselves in the men's necks, causing them to fall to the ground, choking on their blood. Another guard pointed his gun at the man. Grabbing the gun, the man yanked it upwards, causing the gun to fire into the air. The man quickly followed up by smacking the man in the stomach with his fist and grabbing his gun, before spinning it and hitting the gun on the chin with the butt of the gun. Spinning it around, he pointed the gun at the guard and fired, knocking the man to the ground.

Whirling around, he opened up on the guards, knocking them to the ground, killing some, injuring others. Flipping the gun around, he grabbed it by the barrel and smacked an approaching guard with the butt of the gun, knocking the guard flat, before whirling around and throwing the gun at another one, knocking the guard to the ground as it hit his legs.

Reaching to his glove, he pushed a button on the back of it. As he did, the glider sprung to life, firing another set of missiles into the group of guards. As that happened, the man grabbed a pair of pumpkin bombs from his belt and tossed them into the groups of well. The four explosions rocked the building, tossing the men like ragdolls. The man laughed hysterically as he looked at the dead or maimed men surrounding him.

As he did, the elevator door rang and opened, revealing Reed and Samson inside.

"My God," Reed whispered before his eyes fell on the man, "You monster! Who are you?"

"Me?" the man asked, chuckling, "I am the merry wanderer of the night. But you can call me Green Goblin for short."

"What do you want?" Reed asked, stepping in front of Samson to protect him.

"I'm interested in visiting some people you've been keeping here," Green Goblin explained, "Well, more release then see, but you understand."

"What do you want with them!" Samson demanded.

"That would be telling," Goblin said, shaking his finger at them, "Now step aside doctors."

"You'll have to go through me to get to them," Reed said, his eyes narrowing as his fists clenched.

"I was hoping you would say something like that," Goblin said with a grin, before he reached to his belt and threw another pair of blades at him. Reed quickly stretched around Samson, protecting him. The blades dug into Reed before bouncing off his rubber body.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Reed shouted, turning to face Goblin. As he did, he saw Goblin had leapt into the air. Cocking his fist, he punched Reed hard in the face, his fist digging into Reed's, stretching his flexible features. Reed stumbled back from the force of the blow. As he did, Goblin grabbed him by the shoulders, before whirling around and throwing Reed across the room. Reed rolled across the ground, rolling up into a ball as he did so before smashing into the wall. Goblin smiled as he turned back to the elevator, finding Dr. Samson standing between him and the elevator.

"Step aside, doctor," Goblin demanded.

"No way," Samson said, "I have to protect my patients."

"Have it your way," he growled before he grabbed Samson by his shoulder and tossed him aside. Goblin chuckled as he shook his head before stepping into the elevator and signaling it to go down.

The elevator opened up on the holding level, and Goblin stepped out, eyeing the large door in front of him. He smiled as he reached into his pockets again. A second later and there was another large explosion as the doors were blown open. Goblin chuckled as he stepped through the smoke and walked up to the window to Otto's cell. Otto had risen to his feet in response to the explosion and eyed Green Goblin warily.

"Dr. Octavius, I presume?" Goblin asked with a chuckle.

"Who are you?" Otto demanded.

"A friend," Goblin explained.

"What do you want?" Otto asked.

"I need your help. You and Dr. Fries," Goblin elaborated.

"Help with what?" Otto asked.

"We can't talk about it here, doctor," he said, indicating to his ears, "The walls have ears. Now if you'd excuse me."

Taking a step back, Goblin threw a powerful kick at the glass, shattering the pane. Goblin laughed as he hopped through the window and reached for his belt again as he landed. He drew what looked like a handle, and pushed a button on it, causing a sword blade to fold out of the hand in multiple layers. Walking up to one of the anchors for the doctor's arms, he sliced the anchor, breaking it. The arm sprung free, snapping experimentally at the air. Goblin made his was around the room, slashing open the other locks. Otto slowly stood up, stretching both his mechanical and real arms.

"After you, doctor," Goblin said, indicating towards the broken window. Otto nodded before stepping through the hole, his arms swirling around him. He observed the destroyed door and the flashing lights.

"I admire your subtlety, Mr. Goblin," Otto commented.

"I like to make an entrance," Goblin commented as he walked up to the cell holding Victor and Louise.

"Dr. Fries," Goblin greeted as he walked up to the window, "Before you ask, I'm a friend who's here to break you out and I can't tell you why while we're here."

Victor and Louise stared blankly at Goblin.

"Alright, let's get you out of there," Goblin said before he kicked the window, shattering it. As he did, frigid air fell over him.

"Cold enough for you?" Goblin asked with a shiver.

"Victor needs the cold to stay alive," Louise explained, "If he's in normal temperatures for too long he'll die of heat stroke."

"What about you?" Goblin asked.

"I naturally admit it," Louise explained.

"Alright," Goblin said, reaching a hand into one of his pockets and pulled out a card before handing it to Louise, "Take him here, Dr. Octavius and I will insure no one stops you. Make sure no one follows you."

Louise nodded, before putting Victor's arm over her shoulder and lifting him up, holding him close as they made their way out of the cell. Victor cringed as they entered the warm air, sweat already beginning to form on his head.

"Mr. Goblin!" Otto shouted, "I believe we have a problem."

Turning, Goblin looked towards him. Standing in front of Otto, between them and the elevator, were Reed and Johnny, now accompanied by Sue and Ben.

"Otto, stop this before it's too late," Reed pleaded, holding his hand out toward Otto.

"It's already too late, Dr. Richards," Otto stated, "I'm not going back in your glass box. I'm finding the man who killed my wife and killing him. And everyone else responsible."

"Otto, killing these men won't bring her back," Reed argued.

"Yes, but don't they deserve it, Dr. Richards?" Goblin asked, twirling his sword as he walked up besides Otto, "What would you do if your lovely wife was murdered in front of your eyes?"

"That sounds like a threat ta me, gremlin," Ben growled, flexing his stone fists.

"Just an observation," Goblin replied as he reached into his pocket and retrieved another of his throwing blades, "Though it will become a threat if you don't step aside."

"And what are you going to do?" Johnny asked, "There are four of us and just two of you."

As he said that, he was hit by a blast of frigid energy, sending him flying back and into a wall, his chest covered with a thin layer of frost. He moaned in pain as he shivered from the cold.

"Make that three of us," Louise said, her hand still raised, a thin white mist rising from it.

"That's it," Ben growled as he charged them, "It's clobberin' time!"

Stepping forward, Otto planted his two lower arms on the ground before raising his two upper arms in front of him. As Ben got close enough, Otto reached out with his arms, latching onto Ben's shoulders. Shifting his weight, he lifted his arms up, using Ben's momentum to carry him into the air, before throwing him down the hall. Ben tumbled across the ground, before smashing through the window to Pamela's cell.

"Doc's pretty good with 'em arms," Ben grunted, shaking his head as he stood up. Even as he did though, his head began to feel lighter. Blinking his eyes, he looked down to see Pamela standing right in front of him.

"Oh geez," he grumbled as he looked down at her.

"Hello Benjamin," she greeted, running her fingers along his stone chest, "I've missed you. You haven't been down to see me at all."

"Now listen Pam, you ain't in your right mind," Ben said, trying to shake off the effect of the pink mist swirling around him, "You don't know what you're doin'"

"Oh, but I know exactly what I'm doing," Pamela countered before she reached up and grabbed the back of Ben's head, pulling it down into a kiss. Ben's eyes went wide with surprise before they took on a dazed look to them.

"Now wasn't that nice?" Pamela asked, releasing Ben.

"Yes, my love," Ben replied with a dreamy voice.

"Now how about you let my friend out," Pamela said, nodding towards Jason's cell.

"Yes, my love," Ben repeated, turning and walking across the hall before punching the glass wall, shattering it. The vines poured out of the cell and wrapped themselves around Pamela's body, forming makeshift clothing.

"It's wonderful to be back in your embrace, Jason," Pamela chuckled as Jason's head formed next to her shoulder, smiling widely.

"The feeling is mutual, my dear," Jason chuckled as they began to make their way down the hallway.

Meanwhile Reed and Sue were facing off against Goblin and Otto. Goblin hurled his throwing blade at Sue, who quickly deflected it with one of her force fields. Reed reached out to grab Goblin, but one of Otto's arms reached out and wrapped itself around Reed's elongated arm. Reed tried to pull back, but Otto wrapped another arm around his, holding him in place. Goblin took the opportunity to rush at Reed, kicking him in the chest. Reed absorbed most of the blow, but the force still knocked him off his feet and into the air. Otto took this opportunity to swing Reed around by his arm and tossing him into Otto's old cell, where he rolled along the ground before coming to a stop, sprawled across the ground.

"Reed!" Sue cried as she moved to help her husband. As she did, Louise raised her hand and fired a blast of frigid air at Sue. Sue raised a force field to defend herself, as Louise poured more energy into the blast, forcing Sue to strain to keep up her shield. As the two woman struggled, Goblin reached into his pocket and retrieved another pumpkin bomb. He hurled it at Sue, the bomb impacting the shield and exploding. The impact shattered Sue's concentration, causing her to stumble away, a dazed look on her face. Otto took the opportunity to swat her aside, causing her to land on her brother and knocking them both out.

"That went well," Goblin commented with a chuckle, "But we have to move quickly to make sure no one else interferes with our escape. Ms. Lincoln, if you would work your magic on Captain Grimm."

"Certainly," Louise replied before pointing her hand at Ben and freezing him up to his waist.

"It was wonderful seeing you again, Benjamin," Pamela said as she kissed him on his cheek, while Ben continued to stand with a dazed look on his face. Pamela giggled before walking over to the elevator that the others had moved into. As the elevator doors closed, Goblin turned to Pamela, pointing his sword at her,

"Now, I guess you've already figured out that I didn't come here to save you or your friend," Goblin said as Pamela looked at him calmly, "I'm not going to stop you from escaping, but I expect you to play nice. No mind control or anything like you did to Captain Grimm."

"Of course," Pamela replied with a smile, "That would be rude."

As she said that, the elevator doors opened, allowing them to step into the lobby, which was still littered with the bodies of the guards. They quickly made their way through the lobby while Goblin pushed a button on his glove, summoning his glider.

"Ms. Lincoln, go to the address I gave you and bring the doctors with you," Goblin stated as he hopped up on his glider, "I'll explain everything there."

With that, he turned and flew back out of the building, a line of smoke trailing behind him as he went.

"What of you, Doctor Isley?" Otto asked, turning to Pamela.

"If you're asking if I'm going to join you, I think me and Jason will have to decline," Pamela replied, "We have more important things then to hunt for revenge."

"Fine, let her go," Louise argued, "Even with my powers, I can't keep Victor cold forever. We have to get to this place the Goblin told us about."

Otto nodded, before he followed Louise down the street, police sirens blaring in the distance. Pamela watched them go, before a shiver ran through her.

"My, it's quite chilly, don't you think Jason?" Pamela asked as she rubbed her arms with her hands on her arms, "Why don't we find a warmer place to stay?"

Jason chuckled as Pamela made her way down the street, her hips swaying as she did.

_Meanwhile, in Metropolis_

Lois shivered as she stood on top of the Daily Planet building. She rubbed her arms to keep warm as she looked out at the surrounding city.

"Oh, you better show up Spider-Man or I swear I'm going to hunt you down and kick your head in," Lois grumbled as she jumped up and down to warm herself up.

"Chilly night, huh?" a voice asked causing Lois to yelp in surprise as she whirled around. Behind her, floating just past the edge of the roof, was Superman, his arms crossed in front of him as he smiled at her.

"Superman!" Lois exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Surprised to see me?" Superman asked with a chuckle.

"Well, yeah," Lois replied simply, "I was kind of expecting someone else."

"Spider-Man told me about your meeting," Superman explained as he stepped onto the roof, "He got it into his head that you'd like to talk to me more. In addition, if I'm hearing things correctly, he's over on the East Side stopping a carjacking."

"So you're here for an interview?" Lois asked.

"I suppose I am," Superman replied as he stepped up to Lois. As he did, Lois noticed his physique for the first time, causing her to blush slightly.

"So, what would you like to ask?" Superman asked.

"Oh," Lois said, snapping out of her daze, and turning on her recording "Um, well I guess a good question would be who are you?"

"Well, my name is Kal-El," Superman stated.

"Kal-El? That's…exotic," Lois commented with confusion, "What nationality is that?"

"Kryptonian," Superman replied simply.

"Kryptonian? Never heard of that country," Lois commented.

"That's because it's not a country," Superman explained "It was a planet."

"A…planet?" Lois asked as the realization dawned on her, "As in, not Earth?"

"You catch on quick, Ms. Lane," Superman commented with a chuckle.

"Oh my god," Lois whispered, "I'm going to win a Pulitzer."

"Glad you have your priorities sorted out, Ms. Lane," Superman said with a laugh.

"Sorry, that was rude," Lois apologized, "Still, it's not every day I interview a…uh is there a term that you prefer I use?"

"Alien is fine," Superman replied, as he walked over to the edge of the building and sat down, "Though extra-terrestrial will be less confusing and has a more official ring to it."

"And he makes jokes," Lois said with a laugh as she joined him, "You're full of surprises, Mr. Kal-El."

"Kal is fine," Superman replied.

"Alright Kal, next question," Lois continued, "Why did you come to this planet?"

"My parents sent me here when I was small," Superman explained.

"Why?" Lois questioned.

"Because Krypton was destroyed," Superman said solemnly.

"Destroyed?" Lois said in shock.

"Yes," Superman replied.

"How?" Lois questioned.

"It was…consumed by a celestial being known as Galactus," Superman explained.

"…Excuse me?" Lois asked, confusion written all over her face, "Did you say consumed? As in eaten?"

"Yes, it's how he survives," Superman elaborated.

"And you're people couldn't stop him?" Lois questioned further.

"No species has been able to," Superman said sadly, "He's like a force of nature, there is nothing any race has been able to do against him. My race didn't understand that, they thought they could stop him and they ended up paying for it."

"How so?" Lois asked.

"I am most likely the last Kryptonian alive," Superman elaborated, "My people were so sure they could hold Galactus off that when he finally consumed the planet, there was no time for anyone to leave. They all died."

"How did you escape?" Lois asked, engrossed.

"My father was a scientist," Superman explained, "He built a rocket in case of emergency. It was only big enough to hold me though."

"I'm so sorry," Lois said, placing her hand on Superman's arm.

"Thank you," Superman replied, "I've come to terms with it though."

"I certainly hope this Galactus character never pays Earth a visit," Lois commented.

"As do I, Ms. Lane," Superman replied solemnly, "As do I."

"So let's get back to happier topics," Lois said, "How is it that you can do all the amazing things you do?"

"Well, despite looking like humans, Kryptonians have much more advanced biology," Superman explained, "We can absorb yellow sunlight and use its energy to enhance ourselves in incredible ways."

"Wow, so you're some sort of living solar battery?" Lois asked.

"That's a good way to look at it," Superman replied.

"So why do you do what you do?" Lois asked.

"I just believe that I should use my powers to help people," Superman explained, "As a friend of mine said, "With great power comes great responsibility.""

"Wise words," Lois commented, "Some people are scared that you are going to use you're powers to try and take over the city or the country or even the world."

"I can promise you I will never do something like that," Superman assured her, "My people believed that we shouldn't directly interfere with a species development. We must lead by example. That's exactly what I plan to do."

"Well that's a relief," Lois said with a chuckle, "So is there anything you can tell me about your fellow heroes?"

"I feel that my friends should answer those questions themselves," Superman replied as he stood up.

"Well, I suppose that's all the questions I have you right now, Superman," Lois said as she stood up as well, "Thank you."

"The pleasure was all mine, Ms. Lane," Superman stated with a smile, "I'll be sure to let my friends know what a great interviewer you are."

"Wow, thanks," Lois said with a chuckle.

"Have a good night, Ms. Lane," Superman said, before flying off.

"You too, Superman!" Lois called back, waving at him. She watched him fly away until he had disappeared into the night, "Man. That was amazing! And he was such a hunk too! Guess I'll have to thank Spider-Man the next time I see him."

With that, Lois made her way back into the building, all while Superman was watching and listening, a large smile growing across his face.

A/N: Well this chapter took longer than expected, even ended up moving a part of it to the next one so I could finish it. Still it was fun to write, with some big things happening. Hope you guys liked it. Please review! Later True Believers!


	16. Welcome to the Jungle

**Chapter 16: Welcome to the Jungle**

_Belladonna, n.: In Italian a beautiful lady; in English a deadly poison. A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues._

-Ambrose Bierce

_November 6__th__, 2012, somewhere in New York City_

An iron door slowly creaked open, revealing an abandoned warehouse as light flooded in from the outside. Slowly, one of Otto's tentacles moved inside and looked around with the camera eye at its end. After a few moments it retracted back through the doorway.

"It's safe as far as I can tell," Otto said from outside the door.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Louise demanded as she barged in, still supporting Victor, "Victor is burning up out there."

"Yes," Otto said as he followed her in, shivering from the cold, "It's quite oppressive out there."

"Hello!?" Lousie called into the warehouse, "Is there anybody there!?"

"No need to shout, Ms. Lincoln," a gravelly voice said behind her, causing her to jump in fright, "I'm right here."

She whirled around, finding Green Goblin sitting on a crate nearby, watching her with a terrifying grin on his face. He let out a loud cackle at her reaction.

"Alright, Mr. Goblin," Otto said, turning to face Goblin, "We've done everything you've asked. Now would you please explain what is going on?"

"Of course, and please, enough with the formality," he said as he stood up and removed his mask, "We're all friends here after all, Otto."

"Norman?" Otto gasped, "Is that really you?"

"It is, old friend," Norman laughed as he hopped off the box and walked up to Otto before pulling the other man into a hug, which Otto slowly returned.

"Norman, what happened to you?" Otto asked.

"The accident happened, Otto," Norman explained, "I was trapped in the test chamber and the gas was released. But as you can see, it worked perfectly!"

"I can see," Otto observed, "But where did you find all of these weapons?"

"I provided them," a new voice stated as Phineas Mason stepped into view.

"Dr. Mason?" Otto asked, "Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me, Dr. Octavius," Mason replied, "It's always wonderful to run into old colleagues."

"Indeed," Otto replied, shaking Mason's hand with a stunned look on his face.

"Dr. Mason here supplied me with all the gear I needed to rescue you three," Norman explained.

"So why go through all this trouble?" Otto asked.

"Because I needed a group of likeminded people to do what I want to do next," Norman explained.

"And what's that?" Louise asked.

"Revenge of course," Norman said like it was obvious, "Revenge on the people who destroyed our lives! The people who killed you wife Otto, and your sister Louise. The people who destroyed the company I spent my whole life building."

The others were silent for a moment, before Victor let out a groan.

"Norman, Victor needs help!" Louise pleaded.

"Of course," Norman said with a nod, "Dr. Mason, bring Dr. Fries to the refrigerated chamber we've prepared for him."

"Of course," Mason replied with a nod before turning to Louise and Victor, "Please, follow me."

Louise helped Victor to his feet before they followed Mason as he led them to another part of the building. As they left, Norman turned back to Otto.

"Now while Phineas takes care of them, I believe you and I have things to discuss," Norman said before he began leading him to another part of the warehouse. They made their way past the crates until they came to a makeshift desk, on which numerous papers were scattered.

"I take it you still wish to help me get the revenge we both deserve?" Norman asked, turning to Otto. Otto merely nodded in reply.

"Good," Norman said with a nod, "In order to find out who is ultimately responsible, we're going to have to do a little digging."

He reached for a file on his desk before opening it, revealing a few pages of information and photographs.

"Obviously, the best place to start is to find the men who did the deed. Specifically, this man," Norman said as he pointed to a picture of a man in a red ski mask, "This is the ringleader of their unit. An assassin known as the Red Hood. From what I understand he's back in Gotham, though he is apparently working under a different alias now."

"What would that be?" Otto asked.

"Joker," Norman replied simply.

"So what do you want me to do?" Otto asked.

"I need you to find him," Norman asked him, "Find out what he knows, and if you can, kill him."

Otto remained silent.

"You object to killing?" Norman asked, "He has connections to the man who killed your wife. He's almost as responsible as that man."

Otto glared down at the picture of Red Hood.

"That's more like it," Norman said with a grin.

"What of you and the others?" Otto asked.

"Phineas has plans to make a way for Victor to survive in normal climates, I have no doubt Louise will assist them," Norman explained, "As for myself, the Red Hood is a known associate of the criminal known as the Kingpin. I plan on shaking down some of his establishments in Metropolis."

Otto nodded in understanding.

"But no need to worry about that now," Norman said, as he put his hand on Otto's shoulder and began leading him to another part of the warehouse, "For now, we can relax as we wait for things to cool down, before we can make out move. After that, we'll be one step closer to our vengeance."

_The Daily Planet, the next day_

"Clark!" Perry called from his office, catching Clark's attention as he was walking across the room. Turning, he saw Perry signaling him to join him in his office. Clark nodded and quickly made his way over to Perry.

"What can I do for you, Mr. White?" Clark asked.

"Please Clark, it's Perry," Perry said as he ushered Clark into his office, "And I've got a job for you."

"What's that?" Clark asked.

"Have you heard of the break out that happened at the Baxter Building in New York?" Perry asked as he walked around and sat behind his desk.

"I heard about it," Clark answered with a nod.

"Well, we need someone to go down there and cover the story for us," Perry explained, "Do you think you can handle that?"

"Yes, sir" Clark replied.

"Good. Bring that Parker kid with you, it's a weekend and its time he got his feet wet," Perry instructed.

"I'll do that," Clark replied.

"Good, now go bring me some news," Perry said, dismissing Clark. Clark nodded and left Perry's office and back into the main newsroom. He quickly made his way over to his desk and began packing up his things. As he did, Lois walked up behind him, standing on her toes to look over his shoulder.

"Whatcha doin', Smallville?" she asked.

"Heading out to New York," Clark explained, "Perry wanted me to cover the attack on the Baxter Building."

"Sounds interesting," she commented as she took a step back while he turned around to face her.

"It should be," Clark replied, "How's your story going?"

"Alright, you have to keep this to yourself, but something amazing happened," Lois said in a hushed voice.

"What?" Clark asked also whispering.

"I got to interview Superman!" she whispered excitedly.

"Wow, really?" Clark asked.

"Yeah, I learned all sorts of amazing stuff," she replied, "and he was a really nice guy. Definitely glad to have someone like that watching out for us."

"Sounds like you really got caught a lucky break," Clark commented with a chuckle.

"I sure did," Lois said with a big smile. As she did, a thought formed in Clark's head.

"Hey Lois," Clark said, bringing her attention back to him, "I was wondering…if you weren't doing anything when I get back…you see…"

"Spit it out, Smallville," she said with a tone of impatience.

"I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner or something…if you weren't too busy," Clark said nervously.

"Are you asking me out on a date, Smallville?" she asked with a smile.

"Um…I suppose," Clark said, blushing and scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Well, I'm certainly charmed," Lois admitted, "I think I'd like that. For now though, I think you have a story to get."

"Right, I'll talk to you later then?" Clark asked.

"Of course," she said as she turned back to her desk a small smile crossing her face. She spared Clark one last glance, her smile widening as she watched Clark walk away with an obvious spring in his step.

Lois wasn't the only who noticed. Sitting by her desk, Diana and Betty watched the exchange while drinking their coffee.

"Seems like your friend's got it bad for Lois," Betty commented.

"It's been obvious since he first laid eyes on her if you ask me," Diana replied with a chuckle.

"So you never thought of…?" Betty asked.

"Of what?" Diana asked.

"Well, you have to admit, he is kind of cute," Betty said with a giggle.

"Clark's nice and certainly handsome, but he's just a friend," Diana explained.

"So is there someone else you're interested in?" Betty asked. Diana didn't answer, merely sipping her coffee.

"There is!" Betty exclaimed as Diana blushed slightly, "Who is he?"

"He's a…childhood friend," Diana admitted.

"Oh, those are always so deep and complex," Betty cooed, before catching the glare Diana was sending at her, "Um, sorry. You were saying?"

"Like I said, he's a childhood friend. I've had a bit of a crush on him since we were kids," Diana explained.

"Have you ever talked to him about it?" Betty asked.

"I've always been worried that he doesn't feel the same or that it would hurt our friendship," Diana explained, "Besides there's another girl involved."

"Oh another girl?" Betty asked.

"They're not together anymore, but it's not due to lack of attraction," Diana explained.

"I see. That's rough," Betty commented, "Have you ever thought of looking for someone else."

Diana merely shrugged in reply.

"Girl, we have to get you a date," Betty chuckled.

"Oh yes, we do," a new voice said. Betty jumped as she looked to her side, finding Jonah leaning against the side of Diana's desk, glaring at her.

"And then maybe we can paint our nails and listen to boy bands," Jonah said in a mocking tone, "Or maybe we could go back to our desks and get some work done!"

Betty quickly hopped off Diana's desk and scurried away with a yelp of fear. As he watched her leave, Jonah turned his gaze to Diana.

"As for you-" he began.

"I have finished all of your paper work, refilled your coffee and even fetched your dry cleaning," she said simply while not looking at him, cutting him off, "Your only message is your wife asking if you're actually going to come home for dinner tonight."

Jonah looked at him with a surprised look on his face.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Jameson?" she asked, looking at him and raising an eyebrow.

"Um…no. Carry on," Jonah said with a clearly perplexed look on his face before he made his way back into his office. Diana watched him go, before turning back to her coffee, a small smile on her face.

_Later, Baxter Building, New York City_

Clark and Peter stood outside the Baxter Building, looking over the damage that had been done to it. Peter raised his camera and snapped a picture, catching the broken door blocked by police tape.

"Looks like some pretty intense stuff happened here," Peter commented as he looked at the picture on his digital camera.

"I should have been here," Clark said as he shook his head in disappointment.

"Come on don't beat yourself up, even you can't be everywhere at once," Peter said, "I mean where were you last night."

"Alps, there was an avalanche," Clark replied.

"See," Peter stated, "You can't save everyone, Clark."

"I know, Peter," Clark said solemnly, "I know."

"Anyway, we probably want to try and get someone to interview," Peter said as he looked around.

"Yeah, but no one here is really known for talking to the press," Clark lamented.

"I know someone who is," Peter said, looking up at the sky. Following his gaze, Clark saw a streak of fire falling through the sky like a meteorite. Thanks to his enhanced senses though, Clark knew it was anything but. A few seconds later and Johnny Storm, the Human Torch had landed right in front of them.

"Pete!" Johnny exclaimed, walking over to Peter and shaking his hand, "It's been awhile man, how've you been?"

"Can't complain," Peter replied with a smile, "How are you doing, Johnny?"

"Other than getting my ass kicked last night, I'm super," Johnny replied before looking at Clark.

"Who's the nerd?" Johnny whispered to Peter, still looking at Clark.

"Uh, this is Clark Kent, the reporter I was telling you about," Peter explained, glancing nervously at Clark, knowing he heard Johnny's commented.

"Oh right, the guy from the Daily Bugle," Johnny said.

"Planet," Clark corrected.

"Eh, same difference," Johnny replied with a dismissive wave, "I'm Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. You've probably heard of me."

Clark looked at Peter, who grinned back at him sheepishly. Clark sighed before turning back to Johnny.

"Yes, Mr. Storm, I have heard of you," he stated as he pulled out a recording device, "I was hoping you could shed some light on what happened here last night."

"Well, I'd love to-" Johnny began.

"Johnny!" a voice called from behind him, "There you are!"

Looking past him, the three saw Sue quickly approaching.

"I thought I told you not to leave. It's too dangerous after everything that happened," Sue said in a stern voice.

"Ah, come on Sue, I can take care of myself," Johnny argued, "Besides someone has to track that psycho down."

"There's just no reasoning with you is there?" she growled in frustration. As she did she glanced over, noticing Clark and Peter for the first time. They looked at her awkwardly, before Clark glanced at his recording device and quickly shut it off.

"Oh um, hello," she said with an embarrassed smile, before looking at Peter, "Peter Parker is that you?"

"Hey Sue," Peter greeted her with a smile.

"Well, I barely recognized you without your glasses," she said as she walked over and pulled him into a friendly hug, "You look great!"

"Thanks," Peter said, slightly embarrassed, before turning to Clark, "This is my friend and colleague, Clark Kent."

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Richards," Clark said, shaking Sue's hand.

"You too, Mr. Kent. Any friend of Peter's is a friend of ours," she replied, "Johnny had said something about you working with Jimmy at the newspaper."

"Yeah, have to help pay the bills after…well you know," Peter said with a hint of sadness.

"Oh Peter, I'm so sorry," Sue said, remorse crossing her face, "We should have been there for you when your uncle died."

"It's alright, it's not your fault," Peter reassured her.

"Alright," she said before looking at Clark again, "I suppose you two came here to learn what happened last night?"

"That was the plan," Clark confirmed.

"Well, I suppose we can make an exception for a friend of Peter's," Sue said as she made her way back inside, "Why don't you come in?"

Peter and Clark nodded as they made their way into the Baxter Building, following behind Sue and Johnny. They made their way into an elevator, where Sue pushed a button and the elevator began to rise to the top of the building. After a few moments, there was a ding and the doors opened up.

As the stepped through the doors, they found themselves in a large apartment. Just past the doors was a small entrance hall which led to a living room. The floor was covered by a red carpet and black leather couches and brown wooden tables sat around a flat screen television mounted on one of the white walls. One of the walls was occupied by large windows looking out onto the New York skyline. As they entered, Reed walked in from another room.

"Sue, there you are, I-" he began but stopped when he saw Clark and Peter, "Oh, it appears we have guests."

"Yes dear," Sue said as she turned to Peter and Clark, "This is Mr. Clark Kent, he's a reporter for the Daily Planet. And this is photographer, Peter Parker."

"Peter Parker?" Reed asked as he walked over, "You're Johnny's friend, right? That bright boy Sue and Johnny are always telling me about?"

"Well, I'm not sure I can live up to the hype, but thanks, it's good to meet you, Dr. Richards," Peter said, shaking Reed's hand.

"Please Peter, call me Reed," Reed said with a friendly smile, "So I take it what happened last night is what brings your business here?"

"Yes it is, Dr. Richards," Clark said with a nod, "Is there any way you could elaborate on what happened here last night?"

"I suppose we should sit down for this," Reed said as he led them over to the couches and they all took seats.

"Now, as the news has no doubt reported, a few people were being kept here after the so called Big Bang in Metropolis happened a few months ago. These were people who were not only mutated by the accident but were left in a…confused state as well."

"He means they're crazy," Johnny whispered.

"Johnny!" Sue chastised as she slapped him on the back of the head, causing Johnny to wince in pain.

"Regardless, they were deemed too dangerous for a normal hospital, so temporary holding cells were set up here to contain them until they had been cured mentally if not physically as well," Reed explained.

"And then the events of last night happened," Clark conjectured.

"Yes," Reed said, "A masked man calling himself the Green Goblin attacked the Baxter Building with the intent of releasing the prisoners."

"The Baxter Building is heavily protected," Clark observed, "How did this "Green Goblin" manage to break in?"

"Through sheer brute force," Reed replied simply, "This man was armed with some of the most advanced weaponry I have ever seen, the most dangerous was a flying weapons platform he rode on. In addition to this, his own physical attributes seemed enhanced to a remarkable degree. He threw me around like a ragdoll, despite my own enhanced abilities."

"Enhanced attributes, so are you saying this man was some sort of-" Clark began to question.

"Super soldier?" Reed finished for him, "Yes, Mr. Kent, that is exactly what I am saying."

"What did he want with the prisoners?" Clark asked.

"That, I'm unsure of," Reed stated with a sigh.

"Who were the prisoners that he released?" Clark questioned further.

"They were mostly doctors who worked at Oscorp during the accident. There was Dr. Otto Octavius who had a special harness he invented for handling hazardous materials fused to his body. Another was Dr. Victor Fries, had his body temperature rearranged so that he can only survive in subzero temperatures. His sister-in-law, Louise Lincoln, has a similar condition, though she can absorb heat around her, allowing her to create powerful auras of cold. Then there is Dr. Pamela Isley and Dr. Henry Woodrue, whose very DNA have been rewritten," Reed explained.

"Rewritten? To what?" Clark asked.

"They've both somehow integrated plant DNA into themselves. Dr. Isley has plant-like traits, like the ability to photosynthesize, as well as the ability to psionically control the growth of plants around her. Dr. Woodrue is a whole other matter entirely, he's entire consciousness has somehow been disembodied, taking residence in the plant life around him. He can transfer himself to any plant life and control it."

"They sound dangerous," Clark commented.

"They are, to themselves as much as to others," Reed explained, "That's why it's so important we find this Green Goblin, and stop whatever he's planning."

As Reed said that, a look of realization crossed his face.

"That's right, I completely forgot!" he exclaimed as he turned to look at Sue, "There were reports of a sighting of Dr. Isley down near a botanical garden."

"We have to get there!" Sue exclaimed as she stood up along with Johnny and Reed, "I'm sorry Peter, Mr. Kent but were going to have to gut this short."

"Of course," Clark said with a nod, "We'll show ourselves out."

Sue nodded as she and the others rushed from the room. As they did, Peter and Clark looked at each other.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Peter asked with a serious expression on his face.

"Let's go to work," Clark said as he removed his glasses.

_Later_

Police sirens wailed into the night as the Fantasitcar settled down by the botanical garden, which had been surrounded by police cars. As the Fantastic Four jumped out of the vehicle, a police officer quickly approached you.

"I'm sorry sir," the officer said to Reed, "We can't let you civilians in there."

"You don't understand, the woman in there is a danger to herself as much as others," Reed tried to explain.

"Says you," the officer scoffed.

"Officer," a voice said from above them. Looking up, they saw Superman slowly descending on them, landing between the Fantastic Four and the officers, "Maybe we can reach an agreement."

"Superman!" Reed exclaimed as walked over to him and shook his hand, "It's good to see you again."

"The same to you, Dr. Richards," he said before turning to the officer, "Now officer, these people may be civilians like me, but their also experts. I have a feeling they're better handled for what's in their more than you are."

"Well, when you put it that way," the officer commented, "Be careful in there though, I've already lost contact with a squad of my best men in there."

"Don't worry, me and my partner will have their back," Superman replied.

"Partner?" Sue asked. As she did, Spider-Man swung in and landed next to Superman.

"You never wait up for me," he said in exasperation.

"Whoa, Spider-Man!" Johnny exclaimed, before shaking his hand, "Johnny Storm, Human Torch."

"Uh, nice to meet you," Spider-Man replied awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?" Sue asked.

"The big guy here gave me a lift," Spider-Man explained, "He thought you guys could use some help."

"We'll be glad ta have it," Ben commented, "Pamela and her friend are a piece a work."

"Speaking of which," Reed said as he reached into the Fantastic Car and pulled out four canisters and masks, "We'll be needing these to keep us safe from Dr. Isley's pheromones."

"Ugh, yeah, I don't want to have to deal with that again," Johnny agreed, taking one and putting on the mask while strapping the canister to his back.

"Now Johnny, you'll have to be careful," Reed warned, "You can't completely flame on while wearing it, lest it explode."

"Oh joy, I always love a challenge," Johnny commented.

"What about these two?" Ben asked, nodding towards Superman and Spider-Man.

"I'll be fine," Superman stated, catching Reed giving him a quizzical look, "Trust me."

"I could use one though," Spider-Man spoke up.

"We only have four though," Reed lamented.

"Don't worry dear," Sue spoke up, "Nothing a little inventiveness can't fix."

With that she formed two force bubbles, one small and one large, connected by a tube force field. She placed the small one over her mouth before letting the large one float behind her.

"Tada!" Sue exclaimed.

"That's brilliant, honey!" Reed said as he handed the last tank to Spider-Man, who quickly put it on.

"Alright then," Superman said, "Let's get started."

_A few minutes later_

Superman, Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four made their way through the halls of the garden, the air thick with a strange pink mist.

"You picking anything up, big guy?" Spider-Man asked.

Superman's eyes glowed blue as he looked ahead.

"There's a lot of movement in the green house up ahead. There's also something coming up from around that corner," Superman said, pointing forward.

"And it's not friendly," Spider-Man agreed as his spider sense began going off.

A second later, two large vines shot from around the corner, rushing at the group. Invisible Woman quickly threw up a shield, which the vines crashed against it.

"Johnny burn them!" Invisible Woman shouted as she quickly pushed the shield then dropped it.

"You got it!" Johnny shouted, before he shot a blast of flame at the vines, setting them alight. The vines seemed to scream and writhe in pain before they retracted back around the corner.

"I don't think Pam wants any guests," Thing commented.

"Guess we're going to have to let ourselves in," Human Torch said with a smirk. Running around the corner, they found a hallway ending with a door which had become overgrown with vines and roots.

"Let's see what's behind door number one," Thing growled before rushing at the door and giving at a big boot, knocking the doors off their hinges and sending them flying into the room beyond. The room beyond looked more like a jungle then a greenhouse. The windowed roof above them was covered in vines and leaves, while the rest of the very large room was covered in plants, vines and flowers. Dominating their view was a tree small enough to fit in the room, around which the other plants have intertwined themselves. Sitting on a tree branch looking down at them was Pamela; nude as the day she was born but with vines entwined around her arms and legs and leafs in her hair along with a flower tucked behind one of her ears.

"Your kind isn't welcome here!" Pamela shouted down at them.

"Dr. Isley, we only want to help you!" Mr. Fantastic shouted up at her.

"Your kind can't help anyone but yourselves; you kill and take, showing no compassion for all the life around you. My green brethren have shown me your atrocities against them. Now we will take this planet back, starting with what your kind has so mockingly named the concrete jungle," she proclaimed.

"What is she talking about?" Human Torch asked.

"Her connection to the plants has made her lose connection to humanity," Mr. Fantastic explained, "She's seeing things through their eyes, and she sees them as threatened."

"She's not wrong, humanity is damaging the world through pollution and manufacturing," Invisible Woman explained.

"Somehow, I don't think her version of going green is the same of ours," Spider-Man commented.

"Now, you will suffer for your transgressions!" Pamela exclaimed, standing on the branch and holding her hand above her, "Just like the puppets before you!"

As she spoke, a half a dozen vines dropped from the tree, lowering a group of police officers dressed in riot gear.

"Oh my god, the police officers," Invisible Woman said in shock.

"She's controlling them," Mr. Fantastic observed as the vines released the men and they charged at the group.

"Spider-Man, you and Captain Grimm handle the officers. Try not to hurt them," Superman ordered.

"I make no promises," Thing grumbled as he cracked his knuckles.

"The Dr. Richards, Human Torch and I will handle Dr. Isley," Superman continued.

"Sounds like a plan," Mr. Fantastic said with a nod.

"Alright, sounds like its clobberin' time!" Thing shouted as he rushed at the police men, Spider-Man swinging behind him. At the same time, Invisible Woman formed a force field beneath her, Mr. Fantastic and Human Torch's feet before lifting them into the air towards Pamela, Superman flying behind them.

As Thing reached the officers, one raised a baton and smashed it across his stone chest, causing it to shatter. Before the officer could recover, Thing kicked him in the chest, sending the man tumbling backwards before he smashed into a wall, knocking him out Another pointed a shotgun at him and fired but the pellets merely bounced off his stony hide. Thing quickly whirled around, grabbing the weapon and crushing it, before shoving the man in the chest, sending him flying through the air and slamming into the tree trunk and slumped to the ground. As the third officer aimed his weapon at Thing, he whirled around and clapped his hands together, the resulting shockwave sending the man flying away, his weapon falling from his hands.

As Spider-Man swung through the air, he kicked one of the officers in the back, sending the man sprawling. As he landed, another rushed at him with a baton raised. Whirling around, Spider-Man grabbed it and broke it cleanly in two, before following up with a palm to the chest, sending the officer stumbling backwards. As a third officer pointed a shotgun at him, Spider-Man spun around again and threw the broken baton at him, knocking his gun to the side, and causing his shot to go wild. Spider-Man followed up by firing a webline at the man's chest, snagging him, and then pulling him off his feet, spinning him around and tossing him at the second officer, sending them both falling to the ground. As the first officer stood up and pointed his pistol at him, Spider-Man leapt into the air and landing on the underside of the tree branch above him. Firing a webline at the officer, Spider-Man snagged him and yanked him off his feet, before leaving him hanging upside down.

Meanwhile, Superman and the three of the Fantastic Four flew up to the canopy of the large tree.

"Pamela!" Reed shouted, "You have to stop this before someone gets hurt!"

"I'm sorry Reed, but I can't let your kind destroy this planet," she said simply, "And my name is not Pamela anymore. It's Ivy. Poison Ivy."

As she said that, a dozen vines shot out from the branches of the tree. Superman shot out in front of them, but they wrapped around him before he could react, the vines quickly retracted, dragging Superman with them. As they did, Poison Ivy reached out with her hands, causing the vines wrapped around her arms to shoot out and grab Human Torch and Mr. Fantastic before pulling them over to her. Reaching up, she quickly grabbed the masks from their mouths and ripped them off.

"No!" Sue shouted as the two men began to cough and gag on the mist around them.

"Sorry, Sue," Ivy mock apologized, "But this is a one woman show."

With that she stamped on the branch beneath her, causing it to rear up and swat Invisible Woman out of the air, sending her falling to the ground with a thud.

"Susie!" Thing exclaimed as he ran over to where Invisible Woman had fallen, Spider-Man swinging behind him. As they reached her however, two vines shot out of the ground behind them, snagging their tanks and masks away before they could react. The two men fell to the floor, chocking on the pheromones that had already begun to cloud their minds.

Sue moaned as she pushed herself to her feet before she gasped as she found Thing and Spider-Man staring at her, clearly under Ivy's influence.

"Alright boys," Ivy said as she lowered herself, Human Torch and Mr. Fantastic Four, "How about we show Sue a good time?"

_Meanwhile_

Branches and vines broke as Superman was yanked through the branches of the tree. Eventually, Superman broke the vines and floated to a stop. As he did, the branches and leaves began to move and form the shape of a face.

"Hello, alien," the face sneered.

"Alien? How did you-?" Superman began to ask.

"Know?" the face finished, "I can smell your odor and it's nothing I've ever encountered on a human before. So you must not be human."

"You're right, I'm not human," Superman stated with a hard tone, "And I take it your Dr. Woodrue?"

"I prefer Plant Master now," he said with a grin.

"Humble," Superman commented.

"Says the one called Superman," Plant Master retorted.

"I didn't choose that name," Superman growled.

"But you embraced it," Plant Master stated with a laugh, "As I have mine. Let me show you."

As he spoke, the branches of the tree sprung to life as vines shot out, wrapping around Superman and constricting him as Plant Master laughed.

"Now let me show you want I can do," Superman growled, seemingly unconcerned with the vines entangling him. Flexing his muscles, the vines entangling him burst into pieces.

"What!?" Plant Master exclaimed.

"It's like you said, Plant Master. I'm an alien," Superman said as a smirk slowly began growing, "Which means none of your plants, nothing you can control, is prepared to deal with me. That's why Ivy's pheromones don't affect me. That's why your vines can't hold me. I'm an out of context problem, Woodrue. And that literally makes me more dangerous then you could possibly imagine."

As he said this, Superman's eyes glowed red before his heat vision shot out, hitting Plant Master in his face. He screamed in pain as the leaves and branches burned. As the ashes fell to the ground, Superman spun around, burning the surrounding branches and vines, causing the tree to writhe in pain. Superman quickly observed his surroundings, before taking off through the tree branches.

_A few moments earlier_

Invisible Woman flinched as Thing punched her barrier, the force of the blow causing her to drop the barrier and stumble backwards. Human Torch followed up by throwing a fireball at her, which she deflected by quickly raising a small shield. As she did, Spider-Man fired a web blast at her, which she also deflected. While she was distracted by it though, Spider-Man slid under the small shield and kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying back. As she flew through the air, Mr. Fantastic moved behind her and stretched his arms around her, entangling her.

"That was a nice effort Sue," Ivy said as she walked over to her, the vines around her limbs began to shift, "But you can't fight Mother Nature."

As she said that, a cry of anguish ripped through the air. Looking over, Sue and Ivy saw beams of heat lancing out from the tree, setting much of it alight.

"Jason!" Ivy exclaimed as she covered her mouth in fear. Moments later, Superman flew out and landed on the ground in front of all of them, the burning tree falling behind him.

"You monster!" Ivy shouted, "I'll kill you for that!"

"No, you won't Ivy," Superman replied seriously.

"Maybe not me, but you're friends certainly will," Ivy said. As she did, Thing leapt into the air, his hands raised above his head, before coming smashing down on Superman, kicking up a large cloud of dust as the ground cracked beneath them. As the dust settled however, in revealed Superman, standing undeterred with Thing's arms slammed against his shoulders.

"Sorry about this," Superman apologized before he slammed his palm against Thing's chest, sending him flying backwards and rolling across the ground. As Superman prepared his next move, Spider-Man fired a web blast at him, hitting him in the face and blinding him. Mr. Fantastic followed it by wrapping his hands around Superman's legs and heaved him into the air, before whirling him around and slamming him onto the ground, cracking it and sending debris flying into the air.

As the others backed off, Superman picked himself up, before he burned off the web on his face with his heat vision. Seeing this, Human Torch fired a blast of fire at him, engulfing him in flame. Superman stood his ground, the fire flowing around him like water, leaving him untouched. As Human Torch stopped his assault, Superman hit him with a blast of his freezing breath, sending him tumbling across the ground, where he lay shivering.

As Superman watched the Human Torch, Spider-Man swung in from the side, kicking Superman in the side of the head. Superman however, didn't even flinch, forcing Spider-Man to bounce off and land on the ground next to Superman. Spider-Man then sprung forward, throwing a punch at Superman's face. Superman however, easily caught Spider-Man's fist, stopping him cold. Superman then pulled Spider-Man off his feet by his arm and tossed him aside.

"Superman, watch out!" Invisible Woman yelled as she thrust her hand forward, raising a barrier behind Superman which a group of vines slammed into it. Pushing her hand forward again, she knocked the vines backwards.

"We can't do this forever!" Invisible Woman exclaimed.

"We have to take Ivy down!" Superman shouted back. A second later, a branch swung down at him. Superman managed to turn and catch it, but only just barely. As he did, a group of bushes formed a sneering face nearby.

"You can't get rid of me that easily, alien!" Plant Master declared as a root shot out of the ground from underneath Superman, attempting to skewer him. Superman pushed the branch back before stepping back and dodging the root. Superman quickly kicked the root, breaking its point off. He then picked up the point and leapt into the air, before nailing the branch to the ground with the root.

As he did, Thing ran up behind him. Just as he was about to strike, he was blindsided by a force blast from the Invisible Woman, sending him skidding across the ground. Superman looked at where Thing was recovering, before looking at Invisible Woman.

"I'll keep them busy!" Invisible Woman shouted, "You get Ivy."

Superman nodded in reply before shooting off into the air to find Ivy. Seeing her by the ruins of the tree, he flew down towards her. As he did, Ivy held up her hands, launching more vines at Superman. Superman countered by burning the vines away with his heat vision before landing in front of her.

"Stop this, Ivy," Superman demanded, "Now."

"Why is it that you resist me?" Ivy asked, ignoring his demand as she stepped up to Superman and ran her hands along his chest, "Why do you seek to destroy what I'm trying to save?"

"Because you're trying to kill or bend people to your will," Superman explained, "And I can't let you do that."

"You would really hurt me?" Ivy asked as she pressed herself against him, bring her face up to his and leaning in for a kiss. She was stopped however as Superman put a finger to her lips and gently pushed her away.

"Only if I have to," Superman answered. Ivy's eyes filled with anger at being rebuffed and she began to summon more vines to attack Superman. Superman responded by simply raising his hand to her forehead before flicking it with his finger, the force sending her tumbling across the room and smashing into a wall, knocking her out.

Superman watched her for a moment, before looking down at the Invisible Woman. She was managing to keep the four heroes occupied, by pushing them away and defending herself with shields. As he watched though, more of the plants rose up and moved towards them both. Superman let out a breath of gale force wind, knocking the others away before rushing toward the Invisible Woman.

"I took care of Ivy, but as long as there are plants around we can't deal with Woodrue," Superman explained to her.

"What are we going to do?" The Invisible Woman asked.

"I have an idea," Superman stated, "Just be ready to raise the biggest shield you can make on my signal."

"Alright," the Invisible Woman replied, before motioning to the others, "What about them?"

"Keep them occupied, but be ready to shield them when the time comes," Superman replied.

"You got it," Invisible Woman confirmed.

Taking off again, Superman flew around the green house, picking up the unconscious police officers and depositing them by the Invisible Woman. He then sped around collecting the oxygen tanks left by his four allies. After collecting them, he landed on the ground before spinning around and throwing them into the air, all while more vines descended upon him.

"Dr. Richards, now!" he shouted as his eyes began to glow red. Firing blast of heat, he detonated the tanks of oxygen, creating a powerful fireball that rocked the entire greenhouse, blasting out the windows and burning all the plants. Invisible Woman quickly raised a shield to block the flames, defending her and the four others as the shockwave knocked them to the ground. Superman meanwhile rushed over to Ivy and shielded her with his body. A second later the fire was gone and all that was left was smoke and ash.

"Arrgh! Fire!" came Spider-Man's voice as he jumped to his feet and ripped his now flaming mask off his face, "Get it off!"

Whirling around, Superman saw Spider-Man throw his mask to the ground before stomping it out with his foot. As he did, the other four began to stir.

"Ow, my head," Human Torch groaned as he held his hand to his head and began shaking it, "What happened? Feels like I was-"

Human Torch stopped as he saw Peter standing before him in his costume, looking back at him with equally wide eyes.

"Pete?" Johnny asked, his mouth agape, "Is that you?"

"Johnny, I can explain," Peter said, holding his hands up in an effort to calm his friend.

"Explain that you're frickin' Spider-Man!?" Johnny exclaimed, catching the others attentions as well.

"Oh my god, is that really you, Peter?" Sue asked, holding her hands in front of her mouth in shock.

"Uh, yeah," Peter said, scratching the back of his head, "It's me."

"How did this happen, Pete?" Johnny asked, still surprised.

"It's a really long story," Peter replied.

"Wait, if Spider-Man is Peter Parker," Reed surmised, "Does that mean…?"

"Yes," Superman said as he stepped forward, carrying the unconscious Poison Ivy with him, "I'm Clark Kent."

"Wait, so you're tellin' me that Superman spends his days pretendin' ta be a reporter?" Ben asked.

"I don't pretend to be a reporter, Captain Grimm," Clark stated, "I really do work for the Daily Planet."

"Wow, who else knows, Peter?" Johnny asked.

"MJ and Jimmy," Peter replied.

"You told MJ?" Johnny asked as a smile grew across his face, "I thought something was up between you two the last time I saw you. So you ask her out yet?"

"Johnny!" Peter exclaimed angrily.

"Sorry," Johnny said, holding his hands up, "Don't need to be so touchy, sheesh."

"Anyway," Reed said, "We should bring Ivy and these officers out to the police."

"What about Dr. Woodrue?" Sue asked, "Do you think he's dead?"

"I didn't want to do what I did," Clark lamented, "But I needed to end this fight before anyone else got hurt."

"I don't think you have to worry, Mr. Kent," Sue said as she looked at her feet, where a small sprout appeared to be trying to crawl away, "I think Dr. Woodrue is just fine."

Forming a bubble around the sprout, she pulled it up out of the ground and floated it in front of her. The sprout banged helplessly against the orb, trying in vain to escape.

"Dr. Woodrue I presume," Sue said with a smile as she observed the sapling.

Meanwhile, Peter had picked up his burnt mask and was examining it. A large hole had been burnt on the left side, but otherwise, it was still intact.

"Well, half a mask is better than no mask," Peter said with a sigh, before pulling the mask back on.

"Let's take these two out to the authorities," Clark said.

"Yeah and afterwards, you are totally telling me the whole story, Pete," Johnny asserted as they left the destroyed green house.

_Later_

"And then Clark found me, and he and his friends offered to help train me. The rest you can probably gather from having watched the news," Peter said, finishing his story. The group had made their way back to the Baxter Building and were relaxing in the Fantastic Four's living room.

"Wow, Pete, I had no idea," Johnny said, surprised by Peter's story.

"Ya can't blame yerself for what happened ta yer uncle, Webhead," Ben commented.

"But I can't help but feel responsible either," Peter replied.

"We all deal with grief in our own way," Reed commented, before a look of interest crossed his face, "I must say though, the way you gained these powers is truly fascinating. If I could just run some test…"

"Maybe not today, honey," Sue said, laying her hand on Reed's shoulder, "We've all had a very long day."

"Yeah, you're right," Reed agreed with a sigh.

"Well, I suppose we should be heading back to Metropolis," Clark said as he stood up, "Thank you for-"

Clark stopped as he lowered his head with a far away look in his eyes.

"Are you alright, Mr. Kent?" Sue asked.

"Oh no," Clark whispered as he rushed to the window and looked out.

"What's the matter?" Peter asked immediately on edge.

"It's Ivy, she's loose again," Clark said ominously.

_Meanwhile, across the city_

"I did what you asked, Ivy," the SWAT officer said, his gun still smoking as his comrades lay dead or injured on the ground, their van overturned nearby.

"You did, and you did it well," she said with a smile, running her finger along the man's chin, "It would have been terrible if those SHEILD agents had got their hands on me. Now, how about a reward?"

Standing up on her toes, Ivy leaned in for a kiss, which the man gladly returned. As they did however, Ivy's lips changed colors becoming purple with black veins in them. A second later, the man seized up, shaking uncontrollably. Ivy chuckled as she pulled away and pushed the man down, causing him to fall to the ground, still shaking as he began to foam at the mouth and his eyes rolling back in his head. A second later, he went still, his last breath leaving his lungs.

Ivy smiled as she licked her lips, returning them to their normal ruby red color. Humming to herself, she stepped over the man's body and walked up to the knocked over van. Reaching into it, she retrieved a jar, holding the small sprout Plant Master was possessing.

"Well, Jason, it seems the direct approach isn't the best one," Ivy commented as she began to walk away into the dark allies of New York, "Maybe we should try something a bit more…subtle."

And with that, she was gone, disappearing into the concrete jungle.

A/N: Well, another chapter that ended up longer than I expected. But, it was a very fun chapter to write, Poison Ivy is a very interesting villain to write. It was also fun to write the Fantastic Four again. Ivy will be reappearing in another fic in the future, so I hope you liked her. Also, Otto's confrontation with Joker will be handled in a later chapter of Batman: Dark Crusade. Anyway, please review! Later, True Believers!


	17. For Hate's Sake

**Chapter 17: For Hate's Sake**

_Evil is always devising more corrosive misery through man's restless need to exact revenge out of his hate._

-Ralph Steadman

_December 2nd, 2012, the Daily Planet_

Snow slowly fell outside the windows of the Daily Planet, sprinkling across the busy news building. Jimmy and Peter stood in a corner of the building whispering to each other.

"So, any luck finding Poison Ivy?" Jimmy asked, eager to know more about Peter's double life.

"Not yet," Peter whispered back, "She's lying pretty low."

"What about this Green Goblin guy?" Jimmy asked.

"No, nothing on him either," Peter replied, slightly agitated.

"Maybe if-" Jimmy began before Peter cut him off.

"Jimmy, do you really think this is a good place to be talking about this?" he asked.

"I guess not," Jimmy replied scratching his head in embarrassment.

"What are you two talking about?" Lois asked from behind them. The two let out small yelps of surprise as they whirled around, looking at her nervously.

"Whoa!" she said in surprise, "Didn't mean to startle you there. Why so jumpy?"

"No reason," Peter said quickly, "We were just talking."

"About what?" Lois asked with a suspicious tone.

"Pandas" Jimmy quickly said. Peter slowly turned to look at Jimmy in utter astonishment as the red head continued to hold Lois' gaze, sweat forming on his forehead.

"Pandas?" Lois asked after a moment, not taking notice to the fact Peter was still staring at his friend.

"Yes, pandas," Jimmy repeated, glancing at Peter for help.

"Yeah, I think I read something about a new panda coming to the Metropolis Zoo," Peter added.

"You guys are pretty weird, you know that?" Lois asked with a chuckle, before she turned and walking away while shaking her head. As soon as she was gone, Peter whirled around and hit Jimmy on the arm.

"Pandas!" he whispered harshly.

"I panicked!" Jimmy countered.

"See, this is why we don't talk about this here!" Peter stated, "We got lucky there."

"Sorry, won't happen again," Jimmy apologized.

"It had better not, otherwise you're going to give me a heart attack," Peter said, patting Jimmy on the shoulder as they went to get back to work.

Walking back to her desk, Lois saw Clark standing over his, leaning against it as he read an article sitting on his desk. Smirking, she walked up behind him, before bumping him in the back with her hip, causing him to lurch forward with a cry of surprise. Turning around, Clark adjusted his glasses as he looked at Lois' grinning face.

"Hey, Smallville," she greeted.

"Hi, Lois," Clark replied with a nervous chuckle.

"So, sorry I haven't gotten back to you about that date," she began.

"Oh, i-it's alright," Clark stuttered as he looked away, "I'm sure you've been busy."

"I have, but still," she replied, "So how about we go get some dinner. Say Friday night?"

"Sure, I-I'd love to!" he declared happily.

"Great, I'll see you then," she chuckled as she turned back to her desk, a smile creeping across her face, Clark having a similar reaction behind her.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Diana typed away at her computer, trying to finish the latest bit of work that Jonah has assigned for her to do.

"PRINCE!" Jonah shouted as he threw open his door, causing it to slam against the wall and sending a vibration through the ground so strong that Diana swore she felt her chair and desk hop off the ground slightly.

"Yes, Mr. Jameson?" she asked, instantly on guard.

"What is this crap!" he demanded, stopping over to her desk and slamming a file down on top of it. As Diana glanced down at it, she couldn't help but notice the room had gone quiet and a number of people were looking over their way.

"It's the report you requested this morning," she observed.

"You call this half assed mess a report!" he growled.

"It has everything you asked for, Mr. Jameson," she replied, slightly confused.

"I asked for the financials from March and you gave me May's!" he shouted, "Plus, it was late."

"Late?" Diana asked, slightly irritated as she knew he asked her for May's.

"I told you to have it on my desk by ten, but you didn't give it to me until ten o five!" Jonah declared.

"I was getting you coffee," she replied, clearly irritated now.

"What? Can't handle two things at once!" he shouted, "I should fire you right now for your incompetence!"

"Incompetence!" Diana shouted, leaping to her feet and glaring into Jonah's eyes, a move that startled him so much that he took a step back, "I preform every task you set before me, I do every little thing you ask! Even pick up your laundry! And I do it all with a smile on my face, forced mind you, and not a word of complaint! And this is what I get! I mess up once, and you have the gall to call me incompetent! You, who doesn't know his ass from his elbow! Well fine, fire me! Good luck even making your own coffee, if you can even find where to get it!"

For a few moments, there was a stunned silence from everyone in the room, the only sound being Diana's angry breathing. Suddenly, Lois stood up and began to applaud, causing everyone to stare.

"What?" Lois asked, "You were all thinking it."

The attention was brought back to Diana and Jonah when Jonah did the last thing anyone expected. He began to laugh. Not a sarcastic laugh. An uproarious one showing genuine amusement.

"Oh my god, he finally snapped," Lois whispered to Clark.

"I have to hand it to you, Prince," Jonah said after he recomposed himself, "That took guts. Lots of them judging how all the other secretaries look at me. You got moxy and I like that."

"Um, thank you sir," Diana replied with some confusion.

"Listen, Price. Diana. You just proved yourself to me. You're much more than those wishy-washy secretaries I've had in the past. You doing anything Friday night?"

"Um, well no, I…" Diana began, still confused about what was happening, before Jonah cut her off again.

"Great, you can come over to my place and have some dinner," he explained, "My son John is in town, and I'm sure he'd love to meet a girl like you. He's an astronaut you know."

"Um, wow, thank you, Mr. Jameson," she said, still flabbergasted.

"Good, I'll have my wife cook up something nice," Jonah said as he turned back to his office, before glancing at his watch, "Say, isn't it you lunch break?"

"Um, yes sir," she replied.

"Alright. Keep up the good work Prince," he said with a laugh before walking into his office before he stopped and looked at everyone else watching him.

"What are you bunch of slack-jawed morons looking at? GET BACK TO WORK!" he bellowed.

With that he turned and reentered his office, slamming the door behind him.

There was a stunned silence as every pair of eyes sat on Diana, who was still staring at the door to Jameson's office. The silence was soon broken, as Lois quickly collapsed into a heap of laughter, leaning against Clark for support as mirthful tears started running down her face. Clark glanced down at her, before looking up at Diana, who was staring back at him. The only explanation he could offer was a shrug.

"Alright everyone," Perry said as he stepped out of his office, "Shows over, back to work."

Everyone immediately went back to the tasks they had been working on moments before, except for Betty, who quickly scurried over to Diana's desk, where had sat down with a stunned look on her face. As Clark sat back down at his desk, he merely stared at his work, before turning around and looking at Lois.

"What just happened?" he asked, a clearly confused expression on his face.

"I'm sure that's what everyone else is thinking, Smallville," she replied, still laughing to herself.

_Meanwhile, at Lexcorp_

Lex Luthor walked down the clean white hallways of his building to the laboratory. Stopping at the sealed door to the lab to quickly verify his identity with the system, he entered the lab, the doors swooshing closed behind him. Walking over to one of the lab stations, he found Dr. Sisko working hard on his current project.

"Mr. Luthor," Sisko greeted, turning around to face Luthor as he approached.

"Dr. Sisko," he replied as stopped next to him, "How goes your work today?"

"Excellent, sir," Sisko exclaimed excitedly, "excellent!"

"May I hear the details?" Lex asked.

"Of course! You see, I've cracked the code to both the sand monster and Mr. Dillon's DNA," Sisko explained.

"You understand it?" Lex asked.

"I more than understand it, Mr. Luthor," he replied with a smile, "I can recreate it. I dare say, I am ready for human testing."

"You seem to have everything figured out, doctor," Lex said with a smile.

"I do, I even have the test candidates picked out," Sisko replied, turning from his work station and leading Lex away. Walking through the door, the entered another part of the laboratory, this one containing a number of glass holding cells. As they walked in, Max Dillon looked up from his bed in his well-furnished room.

"Morning Doc," Max greeted as he walked up to the wall, "What's on the menu today?"

"You are going to meet your two new colleagues today, Mr. Dillon," Sisko explained.

"New guys, huh?" Max commented.

"Not men, Mr. Dillon," Sisko replied coyly, "In fact, Ms. Graves should be arriving with them any moment."

As he spoke, Mercy walked into the lab with two women in tow, both constrained by chains and dressed in orange jumpsuits. One woman was roughly Max's age, of Caucasian decent, with short, spikey black hair and electric blue eyes. She also had a small metal ring in her nose. She noticed Max looking at her and flashed him a flirtatious smile and a wink. The other woman was of Asian descent, standing a few inches taller than the other woman, with a more athletic physically. She had brown eyes and black hair.

"Willis, Leslie," Mercy read off from the file she produced, "Serving thirty years for assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, grand theft auto and resisting arrest."

"Don't worry," the shorter woman said, "I don't bite."

"Nguyen, Kim," Mercy continued, "Serving life for assault, assault with a deadly weapon, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, kidnapping, attempted murder and murder."

"She might though," Leslie laughed as Kim glared at Max.

"Don't worry babe," Max said with a grin, "I can handle myself."

"I'm sure you can," Leslie said, looking Max up and down as Kim rolled her eyes.

"So what do we own to these women's company?" Lex asked.

"They have volunteered for our experiments," Sisko explained, "Our cells are a large improvement over their former homes."

"The reduced sentence didn't hurt either," Leslie joked.

"And when do you think the experiments will be ready?" Lex asked.

"A week, perhaps two," Sisko replied.

"Excellent, keep up the good work, Doctor," Lex said with a smile as he turned to leave, "I have a good feeling about this."

"Thank you, Mr. Luthor!" Sisko called as Lex left. When he was gone, Sisko did a little dance, laughing happily to himself.

"Seems like you're getting on the boss' good side, Doc," Max commented with a grin.

"Quite so, Mr. Dillon," Sisko replied happily, before turning to Mercy, "Ms. Graves, if you would show the ladies to their new rooms, I believe we have some work to begin."

_Later_

Deep within Metropolis' financial district, numerous skyscrapers were clustered together, forming a concrete jungle, over which the moon and stars hung. In one particular building, on the top floor, the lights were still on. The lights emanated from a large office, decorated with numerous pieces of art and a few plotted plants. A large, ornate desk sat near the back of the office.

Behind the desk, poring over some papers, sat an old man, with pure white hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in an immaculate white suit, along with white shoes. Next to him, sitting on the edge of his desk, was a young woman. She was Caucasian, with long, platinum blonde hair, blue eyes and an athletic physique. She wore a white pantsuit along with white, high-heeled shoes. The last person in the room was a massive man. He was of Caucasian decent, with brown eyes, a bald head and an incredibly powerful physique. He wore a white suit along with white shoes, and stood next to the desk, his arms crossed in front of him.

"Father, how much longer is this going to take?" the woman asked with a sigh, playing with her nails.

"It will take as long as it needs to, Sable," the man replied with a sigh of his own.

"I didn't realize wanting to be the new Kingpin required you to do so much paperwork," Sable commented.

"No one's making you stay here," the man commented, "Why don't you have Mr. Whale take you out on the town?"

"Tobias here isn't exactly the most social creature," Sable replied, before looking at the large man, "No offence Tobias."

"None taken, Ms. Manfredi," Tobias replied in a booming voice.

"Fine, then can you at least sit quietly while I finish my work," her father replied.

Sable sighed again before going back to cleaning her nails. Silence fell over the office, until a low roar began to rumble in the distance. Slowly, it grew louder and louder as something approached. As the sound got louder, the man looked up as Sable stood up and Tobias took a step forward and uncrossed his arms.

The roar grew louder as something appeared outside the large windows, smoke trailing behind it as it flew towards them. A second later, there was a loud, cackling laugh before two missiles shot forward towards them.

"Get down!" Tobias shouted, before turning and tackling Sable and her father to the ground before the missiles slam into the ground, the explosions ripping a hole in the floor and sending the three of them rolling across the ground. Tobias groaned as he picked himself off the ground, looking at the others.

"Are you alright, Mr. Manfredi?" he asked.

"I'm fine, how's Sable?" he asked as he shook his head.

"I'm alright, father," Sable spoke up as she picked herself off the floor, "What happened?"

"I did," a new voice said followed by a cackling voice. Looking towards the source of the voice, they saw a figure float through the fire and smoke, before Green Goblin was revealed, floating towards them on his glider.

"Who are you?" Manfredi demanded.

"Now, now, Manfredi," Goblin replied, "That would be telling. Or do you prefer Silvermane?"

"Whoever you are," Tobias growled, "I'm going to teach you some manners."

"My glider says otherwise," Goblin chuckled as the barrels of the guns on the front of his glider began to spin.

"You wouldn't talk so tough without you're fancy toys," Tobias growled.

"That sounds like a challenge," Goblin said with a dark chuckle, before hopping off his glider, "Let's see what you got, Moby Dick."

Tobias growled in anger before charging at Goblin, who smirked as the massive man ran at him, before ducking his wild punch and punching him hard in the stomach, stopping Tobias cold. As Tobias gagged in pain, Goblin punched him in the face, snapping his head back and sending him stumbling backwards. Goblin pushed his advantage, rushing at Tobias and leaping into the air, before spin kicking him, knocking Tobias to the ground.

Tobias growled in pain as he tried to push himself to his feet but Goblin walked up to him and kicked him in the side of his head, knocking him unconscious. Goblin examined Tobias, before looking at Manfredi with a smile on his face.

"This is your security?" Goblin asked with a chuckle, "You'd think with your money, you could afford better."

"What do you want?" Manfredi asked as the sprinklers turned on, dousing the fire from the missile.

"A chat," Goblin replied with a shrug, "I have some things I'm just dying to ask you."

"You'll have to go through me first," Sable spoke up as she stepped between Goblin and her father, kicking off her high heels as she did so.

"You're out of your league, little girl," Goblin sneered.

"We'll see," she replied, before hopping into the air and spinning around, throwing a kick at Goblin's head, which Goblin was able to duck just barely. As she landed, Sable kicked at him again, forcing Goblin to hop back. Goblin chuckled as Sable set into a fighting stance.

"Looks like you have some fight in you after all," Goblin stated with a laugh, "Show me what you can do then."

Sable rushed Goblin, jumping into the air and kicking at him, forcing Goblin to block the attack. She spun around and kicked at him, forcing him to duck, before he grabbed a punch she threw at him. Pulling her forward, he clotheslined her, sending her flipping through the air and landing hard on her back. She quickly kicked herself back up to her feet, just avoiding Goblin's fist as it slammed into the ground where she had been laying.

Spinning around, she kicked Goblin in the side of the head, sending him stumbling away. As he did, she reached into her pockets before pulling out two handguns and pointing them at Goblin.

"Now that's cheating," Goblin commented.

"No rules in love and war," Sable replied before opening up on Goblin. He rolled out of the way, flipping across the room to avoid the gunfire before ducking behind a column. Reaching into one of his pouches, he retrieved one of his throwing blades. Hopping out from behind the pillar, he hurled it at her, catching Sable in one of her hands. She let out a cry of pain as she dropped her guns, holding her injured hand with her other one and cradling it against her chest.

As she did, Goblin ran at her, leaping into the air as he approached her and kneeing her in the head. She stumbled back as he landed, allowing him to follow up with a backhand to the face that spun her around, allowing him to grab her long hair. Yanking hard on it, he pulled her back to him before driving his knee into her stomach. As she let out a gagging cough, Goblin grabbed the back of her head and slammed her face against the ground. Sable moaned in pain as Goblin pulled out another blade and raised it above his head to plunge into her.

"Wait!" Silvermane shouted, holding out his hand in a feeble attempt to stop Green Goblin, "Please don't!"

Goblin chuckled as he stepped off of her and put the blade away before walking over to Silvermane.

"Please, just tell me what you want," Silvermane pleaded.

"I want answers," Goblin growled, before grabbing Silvermane's jacket and lifting him up into the air, "And you are going to give them to me. And you're going to do it fast, because I know you have an army of security on its way."

"Fine, what do you want to know?" Silvermane asked.

"Not long before the Kingpin was taken down, he hired out one of his men to perform a little corporate sabotage on Oscorp. Who hired him to do it?" Goblin asked.

"I don't know," Silvermane replied with a hint of fear, "Kingpin didn't let us in on all of his dealings."

"Don't lie to me, Silvermane," Goblin growled.

"I'm not lying, I swear," Silvermane stated.

"Then who does know?" Goblin questioned, clearly becoming agitated.

"Other than Hood and Kingpin? No one. Kingpin doesn't even tell his accountants where the money comes from. Didn't want to go the way of Capone," Silverman explained.

"So either track down the Red Hood or break out the Kingpin," Goblin surmised, "You're not making this easy for me Silvermane."

"I'm sorry, but is that the information you wanted?" Silvermane asked.

"It is," Goblin replied, before tossing Silvermane on the ground, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out one of his throwing blades, "You've been a real help, Silvermane."

"What!" Silvemane exclaimed, eyeing the blade fearfully, "I thought you weren't going to kill us!"

"Now when did I ever say that?" Goblin laughed. Before he could throw his blade though, the door to the office was kicked open as a group of armed men ran in, raising their weapons to shoot Green Goblin.

"Another time then," Goblin smirked, as he dodged out of the way as the men opened fire on him. Pushing a button on his glove, his glider flew over to him, allowing him to hop on in midflight. As he flew out the window, he grabbed one of his bombs from his pocket before tossing it over his shoulder, cackling as he did so.

"Oh God," Silverman whispered before pushing himself to his feet and leaping behind his desk as the bomb went off, knocking the guards off their feet and destroying even more of the office. Silvermane groaned in pain as he pulled himself to his feet, looking over to see his daughter picking herself up as well.

"This isn't over," he growled as he looked at the hole Green Goblin and flown through, "Now by a long shot."

A/N: Sorry for the long wait on this one too! This one was also pretty fun to write, and gives a lot of story points. Hope you guys liked it too! Please review! Later True Believers!


	18. Date Night: Part 1

**Chapter 18: Date Night: Part 1**

_Anger and jealousy can no more bear to lose sight of their objects than love._

_-George Eliot_

_ December 7__th__ 2012, the Daily Bugle._

Clark sat at his desk, typing away on his keyboard as he wrote out a story for the paper. As he did, Lois walked up to his desk, before sitting on the edge next to him, catching his attention.

"Hey Smallville," she said, smiling down at him.

"Hey, Lois," he replied, smiling nervously back.

"So, ready for our date tonight?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes! I mean, um, I am ready," Clark said with a hint of a blush.

"Great, well you can pick me up at my apartment. Say eightish?" she asked.

"That sounds great, though I don't know where you live," Clark explained.

"Oh right, sorry about that," she replied, pulling out a pad of paper and writing down on it, before ripping the sheet off and handing it over to Clark.

"Don't be late," she said, winking at him before walking away.

"Right!" Clark said a little too loudly, causing a few people to look at him as he looked back at his computer in embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Diana was working at her own desk, typing away at her computer. As she worked, Betty walked up to her desk.

"So ready for dinner with the boss?" she asked Diana with a smirk.

"I suppose," Diana said with a sigh.

"Hey, don't be so glum," Betty encouraged her, "I have never seen Jameson be that friendly with anyone. If there's one thing you can trust, it's that guy is genuine with his emotions. Wears his heart on his sleeve."

"I can see that," Diana said with a smirk.

"Besides, I heard that his son, John, is a total hunk," Betty said with a large grin.

"Wouldn't surprise me if Mr. Jameson started that rumor himself," Diana replied.

"Believe what you will, Diana," Betty said as she placed her hand on her hip, "But one of the other secretaries swears she saw him, and says he's a dreamboat."

"We'll see," Diana replied as Jameson's door was thrown open.

"Brant!" he shouted, glaring at Betty who looked at him with fear filled eyes, "We aren't paying you to gossip! Get back to work!"

With a yelp of fear, Betty turned tail and rushed back to her desk, Jonah chuckling as he watched her flee.

"You enjoy scaring her, don't you, sir?" Diana asked as she began typing on her keyboard again.

"You bet your ass I do!" Jonah replied as he turned to look at her, "And if I catch you slacking off like that-"

Jonah was cut off as Diana held up a folder for him.

"The report you wanted, Mr. Jameson," she stated, not looking up from her computer screen, "And no, you won't ever catch me slacking off like that."

"I should have figured," Jonah said with a chuckle, "So you all set to have dinner with my family tonight? The wife's dying to meet you."

"Of course sir, when should I come over?" Diana asked.

"Make it around eight, we like to have a late dinner," Jonah replied, "Don't be late. Or you're fired!"

With that, Jonah marched into his office and slammed the door behind him. When he was gone, Clark walked over, smirking at her.

"Sounds like you have an interesting night ahead of you," Clark said with a chuckle.

"Hera help me," Diana replied with a sigh.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad," Clark said. Diana merely stared at him for a few moments in reply.

"Ok, maybe it will," Clark relented, "But you got to try to make the best of it."

"I suppose I should," Diana sighed before smiling at Clark, "So are you ready for your date with Lois?"

"I suppose," Clark said, suddenly becoming nervous, "As ready as I'll ever be."

"You really like her, don't you?" Diana asked, her smile growing larger.

"I do," Clark admitted.

"I'm sure it will turn out fine, Clark," she encouraged him.

"Thanks," Clark replied, "So you want to start heading home soon?"

"Let me just finish my work up here and I'll join you," Diana replied, before a thought came to her, "Have you told um, Donald, we were both going out tonight?"

"I did. Why?" Clark asked.

"No reason," Diana replied, "Just curious."

_Meanwhile_

Peter, Jimmy and MJ were walking down the street just outside their school. They were chatting and laughing as they went, enjoying each other's company. At least until Flash Thomson stepped out in front of them.

"Well, well, if it isn't Puny Parker," Flash said with a grin as he walked up to Peter, while a number of other jocks surrounded them, "What are you and your little friends doing here?"

"We go to school right over there, Flash," Peter quipped, motioning to the high school.

"You know, I'm getting sick of your smart mouth, Parker," Flash growled, taking a step towards Peter, but stopping as Mary Jane stepped between them.

"What are you going to do Flash, fight him?" MJ asked, glaring up at him, "Because I recall that not ending so well for you last time."

"Yeah, how's the hand, Flash?" Jimmy joked, but was quieted when one of the jocks shoved him hard, Peter catching him as he stumbled.

"Hey! That's enough!" Peter shouted as he helped Jimmy right himself before turning to Flash, "What's your problem anyway, Flash?"

"My problem is you, you little punk," Flash growled, "Ever since that little stunt you pulled I can't get an ounce of respect around here."

"Maybe you don't deserve it," Mary Jane spat.

"You watch your mouth, you little-" Flash began but was cut off as Kong stepped forward and put a hand on Flash's shoulder, stopping him.

"Hey man, I don't think this is a good idea," he said, trying to reason with Flash.

"I don't care what you think, Kong!" Flash shouted, rounding on the bigger boy, causing Kong to take a step back in surprise.

"All I care about is showing Parker here who the boss is in this school," Flash growled, turning towards Peter again.

"So what are you going to do, Flash?" Peter demanded, "Have your friends hold me down so you can beat on me?"

"I think you read my mind, Parker," Flash replied with a savage grin as he and the other jocks slowly began to move in on him. Peter glared at Flash as he clenched one of his fists, using the other hand to push Jimmy and MJ behind him protectively.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Flash growled as he cracked his knuckles. As he pulled back his fist to punch Peter though, he felt someone grab onto it. Looking behind him, Flash found Donald standing behind him, looking down at Flash with the few inches of height he had on him.

"Tis unsporting, for so many to fight one man," Donald said through narrowed eyes.

"What's it to you?" Flash demanded as he tried to pull away, but was unable to shake off Donald's grip.

"Peter is mine friend, and I do not like seeing him threatened, especially by a coward such as you," Donald growled.

"What did you call me?" Flash demanded.

"A coward," Donald repeated, "Not only do you fight someone smaller than you, but you out number him as well. Not a fair fight if you ask me. Though you did not win when the fight was fair, if I recall the tale correctly."

"You know about that?" Flash asked bristling.

"Twas a rousing tale," Donald replied, smirking as he let Flash's arm go, causing the younger man to stumble a bit as he pulled away.

"So, if it truly is a fair fight you want," Donald said as he walked up to Flash, looking him in the eye, "Perhaps, as they say, you should pick on someone your own size."

Donald and Flash glared at each other for a few moments, before Flash growled and turned away.

"Come on," he said to the other jocks, "Let's get out of here."

The other jocks eyes Donald warily, Donald looking back at them with fierce determination. Slowly, they began to file away, Flash following them.

"This isn't over," Flash growled as he walked by Peter.

"I figured," Peter replied, glaring at Flash as he left.

Flash sparred him one more growl before moving on with the rest of the jocks. Letting out a sigh of relief, he turned towards Donald, flashing him a smile.

"Thanks, man," Peter thanked him.

"Think nothing of it, my friend," Donald replied with a large smile, "I have dealt with cowards such as him many of times before."

Looking past Peter, Donald saw MJ and Jimmy watching him and smiled.

"I do not believe I've had the pleasure of meeting your companions, Peter," Donald commented.

"Right, these are my friends Jimmy Olsen and Mary Jane Watson," Peter said, indicating towards his friends, "Guys this is…"

Peter stopped as he looked at his friends. Jimmy was smiling widely at him and MJ raised an expecting eyebrow. Realizing what it meant, Peter let out a defeated sigh.

"This is Thor," Peter stated indicating towards Donald.

"Zounds man!" Donald shouted, leaping forward and grabbing Peter's shoulders, "That was supposed to be a secret."

"Relax Thor," Peter replied, "MJ and Jimmy both know I'm Spider-Man and everything else. And as a heads up, if you want to keep it a secret, don't react like that if someone accuses you of being Thor."

"Ah, I see," Donald replied, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Don't sweat it, big guy," Jimmy said, "We're good at keeping secrets."

Looking at his friends, Jimmy found Peter and Mary Jane staring at him with raised eyebrows.

"Ok, they can keep a secret and can force me to," Jimmy relented.

"Well, I trust that Peter would choose stalwart companions, so you have my trust as well," Donald replied with a laugh.

"So why are you here anyway?" Peter asked.

"I came here to ask your assistance," Donald answered awkwardly.

"Our assistance?" Peter questioned, "With what?"

"Well, as you may know, both Diana and Clark are going…out tonight," Donald explained.

"Out?" MJ asked, surprised, "As in, with each other?"

"No," Jimmy replied, "Clark's got a date with Lois Lane herself."

"Wow," MJ said, surprised from what she had heard of Lois.

"Yeah, Clark's a lucky man," Jimmy laughed, "Or unlucky, depending on how you look at it."

"Aye, it is not Clark I am worried about," Donald admitted, "It is Diana."

"Diana?" Peter asked, "Why?"

"Well, she is going to meet with that villain, Jameson," Donald explained, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Jameson?" Jimmy asked, "Well, old JJ would definitely be a villain in most people's minds. But he can't be that bad around his own family."

"I do not believe so," Donald replied, "That is why I need your help in…observing the situation."

"You want me to help you spy on her?" Peter asked.

"Spy?" Donald asked incredulously, "I said nothing of the sort! I merely wish to observe to make sure it all goes alright for her."

"Alright," Peter replied, clearly not believing Donald's story, "Say I believe you. Why do you need my help?"

"Well you're skills make you much more…subtle then I," Donald explained.

"So you want me to spy on her then," Peter surmised.

"No one is spying!" Donald exclaimed, "Merely observing."

"Whatever you say, big guy," Peter said with a chuckle, "I suppose I could help you out."

"We'll help too," MJ volunteered.

"Really?" Peter asked.

"Sure, I have no plans, and it's a Friday night so it's not like we have homework tonight," MJ explained, "Why not hang out with a couple of superheroes?"

"Well, when you put it that way, I'm totally in too," Jimmy added.

"Wonderful!" Donald exclaimed, "I am sure we are in for a wondrous adventure!"

_Later_

Peter and Diana emerged from the training room, Peter rubbing his shoulder as Diana smirked at him.

"You did well today, Peter," she stated, "You are learning very quickly."

"Thanks," Peter replied, hissing in pain as he continued to rub his shoulder, "I guess I'm a quick study at the school of hard knocks."

Diana chuckled appreciatively at his joke, before placing a hand on his shoulder, getting him to stop.

"I am proud to be able to call you my student, Peter," Diana said, smiling proudly at him, "You have learned very much in very little time. You have gone a great distance towards becoming a true warrior."

"Wow, thanks," Peter said, blushing under her praise, "That means a lot coming from you."

"Thank you, Peter. That in turn means a lot as your teacher," Diana replied, "But praise is not the only thing I wanted to give you. Wait here."

Turning, she entered her room before emerging a few seconds later with a hinged, wooden box which she handed to him.

"A box," Peter observed, "It's what I've always wanted."

"Open it," Diana said with a laugh.

Opening the box, Peter found a set of metal bracers inside. They were made of finely polished steel. A spider web design had been molded onto the bracers with a stylized spider on the top.

"What are these?" Peter asked, looking at them in amazement.

"These are a pair of Amazonian bracers," Diana stated.

"I take it they don't all look like this?" Peter questioned.

"No, I had them specially made when I visited home not long ago," Diana explained.

"Why?" Peter asked.

"Because you have shown yourself to be both brave and kind. You are strong in body, mind and spirit. This is something all Amazons aspire to be," Diana explained.

"Wow, thanks," Peter said, blushing under her praise again.

"You deserve it, Peter," Diana said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You've worked hard, something any teacher would be proud of. You are a match for any Amazon warrior, and it's not just because of your powers. You will be the first man to wear bracers like these. I expect you understand the weight of what that means."

"I do," Peter said solemnly, "Thank you, Diana."

"You've earned it," Diana replied, "Now how about some water?"

"Sounds good," Peter laughed.

Making their way to the kitchen area of the apartment, they found MJ and Jimmy chatting with Clark and Thor, now in his true form.

"So you're telling me all those legends about gods on Olympus or Asgard are true?" Mary Jane asked.

"Indeed," Thor replied.

"Where did all the gods go then?" Mary Jane asked.

"Tis a long story. As it goes though, there was a conflict among the gods, and our leaders chose to pull us from Midgard back to our homes," Thor explained.

"I see, what was the conflict?" MJ asked.

"That is a story for another time," he replied, looking up as Diana and Peter entered the room, "I hope you didn't bruise the lad to badly, Diana."

"I'm sure he's use to it by now," Diana quipped.

"Hey Peter, how was it?" MJ asked.

"Tough," Peter replied, still rubbing his shoulder, "Diana doesn't fool around."

"Nor should I," Diana quipped as she made her way to the sink and poured herself a glass of water.

"So you're really a princess?" MJ asked, turning to look at Diana with a look of wonder on her face.

"Indeed I am," Diana replied, smiling at her enthusiasm.

"That must have been so cool," MJ said, "That's like every girls dream."

"Well, my dream was to be a warrior like my mother," Diana replied.

"The first Wonder Woman?" Jimmy asked, speaking up from his position on the couch.

"She must have been an interesting mother," MJ commented.

"She's the best," Diana replied, drinking the rest of her water.

"Diana I think we should start getting ready," Clark stated checking the time for the sixth time in the past five minutes.

"Right," Diana replied, "Dinner with my boss."

"Sounds fun," MJ observed.

"You clearly haven't met J. Jonah Jameson," Peter stated with a chuckle.

"If you had you wouldn't be saying that," Jimmy added.

"Is he that bad?" MJ asked.

"You have no idea," Peter replied, quickly draining his water.

_Later_

Diana and Clark stood by the door, both ready to go out, the illusions hiding their true forms. Clark was dressed in a black sports jacket, white button up shirt, and brown cargo pants with dark brown leather shoes and a matching belt. Diana wore a simple black dress, with a black belt around her waist. She had put her hair up and her glasses were perched upon her nose. She wore black shoes and a black jacket around her shoulders.

"Well, have a good night guys," Peter said, waving as the two made their way out the door.

"You too," Clark replied as he and Diana headed out. As soon as the door closed, Peter turned towards Thor and the others.

"Alright, so are we ready to head out?" Thor asked.

"I suppose," Peter said as he walked over to his backpack and pulled out his Spider-Man costume out of his bag, while grabbing the box Diana had given him "I still can't believe you convinced us to help you out with this."

"Come, my friend, tis a worthy cause!" Thor called as Peter went to change.

"Yeah, yeah," Peter replied as he walked down the hall. A minute later, he emerged, dressed in his costume.

"Wow, I haven't gotten to see this close up yet," Mary Jane said as she walked up and looked him over, "Looks good."

"Thanks," Peter replied, blushing under his mask.

"So how are we getting to Jameson's?" Jimmy asked.

"I'll go with Peter," she said, before looking at him, "If you don't mind that is?"

"No, of course not," Peter replied, blushing again. Looking at them, Jimmy couldn't help but grin a little. Part of him still felt a pang of jealousy, but it was blocked out by just how…happy they looked and they weren't even together. Not yet anyway.

"I'll ride with the big man then," Jimmy stated, nodding towards Thor.

"Wonderful! Shall we depart then?" Thor asked picking up his hammer from where he had left it near the couch.

"Let's go," Peter replied with a nod as he and the others made their way to the balcony.

"Alright," Peter said, turning his back to MJ and crouching a little, "wrap your arms around my neck and hold on tight."

"R-Right," MJ replied, the realization that she was about to go swinging hundreds of feet above the ground. Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around Peter's shoulders, gripping him tightly.

"You ready?" Peter asked, glancing over his shoulder at her.

"As I'll ever be!" MJ replied, lifting herself up and wrapping her legs around his waist, causing Peter's eyes to go wide and his face to redden under his mask. Never had he been more thankful for his full-faced mask.

"A-Alright, here we go!" Peter announced as he leapt off the balcony. MJ let out a squeal of fright as they plummeted through the air, squeezing Peter tightly as she closed her eyes shut. Then Peter fired off a webline and they went swinging into the air. Realizing they hadn't smashed into the ground, she opened her eyes, finding they were now flying through the air, the wind whipping past her face and through her long red hair. As they swung, her mouth turned upwards into an excited smile as she let out a cry of joy.

"Well," Jimmy said, watching them swing away from the balcony, "She seems to be enjoying the ride."

"Aye, there is no truer freedom then being able to soar above the ground," Thor stated as he walked up and placed a hand on Jimmy's shoulders, "Would you like to experience it?"

"Um, I'm not so sure," Jimmy replied nervously, looking over the edge of the balcony at the street below.

"Do not fret, my young friend!" Thor declared as he wrapped his arm around Jimmy's waist, while lifting his hammer above his head "I have everything under control!"

"That doesn't really fill me with AH!" Jimmy screamed as Thor shot into the air, pulling Jimmy along with him and flying in the direction Peter and MJ had gone.

_Meanwhile_,

World away, sitting in a large bedroom on a couch covered with green, plush cushions, sat Amora the Enchantress. Her long, blond hair flowed over her bare shoulders, her blue eyes studying the floating green ball of energy she had conjured in front of her. She wore a simple, green leather corset, along with green fingerless gloves that came up to her elbow and a black, pleated skirt. Her long legs and feet were bare, with a pair of knee high leather boots sitting nearby.

Looking into the orb, Amora watched as Thor flew over the city of Metropolis, Jimmy Olsen tucked under his arm as they followed Peter and MJ swinging below. She stroked her chin as a frown crossed his face.

"Skurge!" she shouted, "Come hither!"

A moment later, a man entered the room. He was incredibly tall and built like a mountain, with short black hair and beady brown eyes. He wore a black breastplace along with black leather pants, and leather, fur-lined gloves and boots. On his back, he carried a massive, two headed war axe, which had runes engraved along its blades.

"You called, my lady?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"It seems my darling Thor is worried about that Amazonian wench, Diana," she spat, "Seems there is a hint of jealousy in my love's heart. I think we should give Midgard another visit. See if I can't soothe his pains."

"What of the children?" Skurge asked, looking into the sphere, "The one bearing the emblem of the spider looks like a warrior."

"I'm sure you can handle him, my dear," she replied as she slipped on her boots, "You have a way with children after all."

Skurge could only smirk at that.

"Now fetch my cloak, dear," Amora said, gesturing away from her, "It seems we have a trip to make tonight."

A/N: Sorry this took so long to write out, school's been getting in the way a lot this year. Hopefully this was worth the wait! I decided to divide this chapter in two when I realized it was running kind of long. Anyway, I love working with Thor characters and it will be fun using Amora and Skurge again. Hope you guys liked this chapter and enjoy what comes next! Please review! Later, True Believers!


	19. Date Night: Part 2

**Chapter 19: Date Night: Part 2**

_From heresy, frenzy and jealousy, good Lord deliver me._

-Ludovico Ariosto

Clark adjusted his jacket nervously as he stood outside Lois' apartment building. Staring down at the registry of people living there, he hesitated in pushing the button to call her room. Finally, after taking a calming breath, he reached out and pushed the button.

"Who is it?" Lois' voice came from over the intercom a second later.

"It-It's Clark," Clark stammered, immediately kicking himself for sounding like such an idiot.

"Hey Smallville!" Lois greeted him happily, "I'll be down in a second, okay?"

"Sure, I'll be here," Clark said, laughing nervously.

"You had better be!" Lois laughed in reply before the intercom went silent.

Clark spent the next few minutes nervously fidgeting outside the building's front door as he waited for Lois. He would periodically check on her with his advance senses, before getting angry with himself for spying on her. Eventually though, he saw her making her way down to meet him and quickly looked away, fixing his appearance as he waited.

A minute later and Lois walked out the front door. She was dressed in a white blouse and a black skirt, over which she wore a black winter coat. She also wore a pair of black shoes and a silver necklace and carried a black bag.

"Hey there, Smallville," she greeted him with a smile.

"H-Hey, Lois," Clark replied, blushing, "You look great!"

"Thanks, you don't look too shabby yourself, Clark," Lois commented with a smirk as she walked over and wrapped her arm around his, "Shall we go?"

"Uh, sure," Clark replied, blushing harder.

"Great, I know this great movie theater downtown," Lois said as she began to physically drag Clark behind her as she made her way down the street, "And after that I know a place we can grab some burgers that are just to die for."

Clark couldn't help but smile as he was dragged down the street, Lois chatting with him all the way.

_Meanwhile,_

Diana sighed, standing outside the house in one of Metropolis' more affluent neighborhoods. Adjusting her jacket, she took a calming breathe before walking up to the door and knocking. There was a slight commotion from within before the door was answered by a woman.

She had wavy brown hair done up in a bun. She had brown eyes and a slim build. She was dressed in a simple black dress with a pearl necklace around her neck. She looked at Diana and smiled.

"You must be Diana," she greeted her warmly, "I'm Dr. Marla Jameson, Jonah's wife."

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Jameson," Diana replied, caught a little off guard.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Diana," Marla said as she opened the door more, "Please come in. And call me Marla, everyone does."

"Of course," Diana replied with a smile as she stepped in, taking off her jacket as she did so. Entering the home, she found herself in a well decorated entrance hall. Marla took Diana's jacket and hung it in a nearby closet before she began to lead her down the hallway.

As they made their way down the hall, they were almost bowled over as another person rushed into the room, almost bowling Diana over. The person was a young girl, only about fourteen years old, with short brown hair and brown eyes. She wore a brown blouse along with a pair of black capris.

"Whoa, sorry!" the girl exclaimed as Diana caught her.

"Mattie, what did I say about running around the house like that?" Marla said sternly.

"Sorry Aunt Marla," Mattie apologized, before looking at Diana, "Are you Uncle Jonah's secretary?"

"I am," Diana said, holding out her hand, "Diana Prince."

"Mattie Franklin," replied, shaking her hand.

"So Marla and Jonah are your aunt and uncle?" Diana asked.

"In a way," Marla explained, "Jonah is friends with Mattie's father."

"My dad hasn't been around for a while," Mattie explained a bit awkwardly.

"Well, it's a good thing you have your aunt and uncle then," Diana replied, earning a smile from Mattie.

"Prince! There you are!" Jonah bellowed as he entered the room, walking up and slapping his hand on Diana's shoulder, "Glad you could make it!"

"Good evening, Mr. Jameson," Diana greeted with a slightly forced smile.

"Please, Diana," Marla said with a smile, "No formality tonight. My husband is Jonah while you're under our roof."

"Alright, Marla," Diana replied with a smile as Jonah grumbled in annoyance.

"Hey, what's all the commotion in here?" a new voice asked. Turning to look at in the direction the voice had come from, she found a man walking into the room. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with wavy brown hair and brown eyes. He was tall and had a muscular figure, dressed in a dark blue sports jacket, white button up shirts, and dark blue pants with brown shoes.

"Well hello," he said, flashing a winning smile at Diana, "You must be dad's secretary, Diana."

"You must be John Jameson," Diana replied caught slightly off guard.

"Guilty as charged," he replied with a smile, before holding out his hand, "Nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Diana replied as she shook his hand.

"Well now that all these introductions are out of the way, how about we eat?" Jonah suggested rubbing his stomach greedily.

"Fine," Marla chuckled while rolling her eyes, "Don't want to keep the hungry bear waiting."

Diana smirked appreciatively as John and Mattie chuckled, before they all began to make their way into the kitchen.

"You're in for a treat," John whispered to Diana, "My mother is easily the best cook in all of Metropolis."

"I look forward to putting that to the test," Diana replied with a smirk. John chuckled in reply as they walked into the dining room.

_Meanwhile,_

Four people sat on the rooftop of a convenience store across the street. Spider-Man, Jimmy and Mary Jane sat around with dubious looks on their faces as Thor stood on the edge of the building, staring intently into the home across the street.

"They're just having dinner, Thor," Spider-Man spoke up with a sigh, "I think you're taking Diana's past relationship with JJ a bit too seriously."

"Nay, I am sure the villain is up to something," Thor replied, continuing to stare.

"Looks like dinner to me," Jimmy quipped, earning a glare from Thor, "Sorry."

"Really, Thor," Mary Jane spoke up from her position next to Spider-Man, "I think you might be looking for something that's not there."

"I thought you three had come here to assist me," Thor stated, turning from the house to look at the four teenagers.

"Well," Spider-Man said, scratching his head, "It was more to make sure you didn't do anything…rash."

"Rash?" Thor asked, "When have I ever been rash?"

The three teenagers merely stared at him blankly for a moment.

"I feel some trouble is afoot," Thor insisted.

"They're just having dinner," Spider-Man pointed out, "what could possibly happen?"

"Hello, my love," a new voice said, catching all of them off guard. Turning around, they found Enchantress and Executioner standing on the other side of the roof.

"Me and my big mouth," Spider-Man sighed.

"Amora!" Thor gasped, "What are you doing here!"

"I take it you know these guys, Thor?" Jimmy asked.

"We're lovers," Enchantress said with a smile, earning a grimace from Executioner.

"That's a lie, witch," Thor growled.

"Ex-girlfriend," Spider-Man muttered to the other two, earning a nod from them.

"Your words wound me," Enchantress said, holding a hand to her heart.

"Should I teach him a lesson, milady?" Executioner asked.

"Jealous boyfriend," Spider-Man muttered, earning another nod from Jimmy and MJ.

"What did you say, mortal?" Executioner snapped, glaring at Spider-Man.

"Whoa touchy," Spider-Man said, holding up his hands in a defensive position, "Don't burst a blood vessel there, big guy."

Executioner growled as he took a step towards Spider-Man, but was stopped when Enchantress held up her hand.

"Calm yourself, Skurge," she stated, "We must not always jump to violence."

"Why are you here, Amora?" Thor demanded.

"I thought you'd be glad that I came to you in your time of need," Amora explained.

"My time of need?" Thor questioned.

"I saw how it pained you to see that Amazonian harlot with another man and I came to comfort you," Enchantress explained.

"What did you call Diana!" Thor demanded, taking a step towards Enchantress.

"Easy, Thor," Spider-Man said, stepping in front of Thor and putting a hand to his chest, "I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Spider-Man."

"I do not care who you are, mortal," Enchantress said dismissively.

"Well, that's rude," Spider-Man replied, "Usually one gives their name after being told someone else's."

"I am Amora the Enchantress, you insolent whelp," Enchantress growled while glaring at Spider-Man, "And this is Skurge the Executioner."

"You would be wise to respect your betters, insect," Skurge snarled.

"Arachnid," Spider-Man corrected.

"What?" Skurge asked.

"A spider is an arachnid, not an insect," Spider-Man explained, "Don't worry though, I'm sure you're not really the scholarly type."

"Peter!" MJ hissed at him.

"Oops," Spider-Man said as he noticed the Executioner glaring at him, "Me and my big mouth…again."

"I'll crush you!" Skurge growled as he stomped towards Spider-Man. As he did, Thor stepped in between the two of them, glaring at Executioner.

"I suggest you take a step back, Skurge," Thor growled.

"I'm not afraid of you, Thunderer," Skurge growled back, gripping his axe tighter.

"You should be," Thor said, his eyes narrowing, "We've had this fight enough times before for you to know how this will end."

"I wouldn't do that, my love," Enchantress said, catching everyone's attention. She stood on the ledge of the building, pointing her hand at the Jameson home across the street, a ball of mystical energy swirling in the palm of her hand.

"What are you doing, Amora!" Thor demanded as he turned to face her.

"I'm removing the problem troubling you, my love," she explained, as she turned towards the building as the energy ball in her hand began to spin faster and faster. Just as she was about to fire the ball of energy, Spider-Man fired a webline at her, snagging her arm and yanking it to the side. The energy ball flew through the air and slammed into the street below with a large explosion that ripped a hole in the concrete. Car alarms blared as dogs barked wildly.

"You dare touch me, scum!" Enchantress shrieked as she turned to glare at Spider-Man.

"Oh, I dare," Spider-Man replied before firing a web blast at Enchantress, hitting her directly in the face, completely covering it in webbing.

"I'll kill you for that, worm!" Executioners shouted as he charged at Spider-Man, his axe raised.

"Look out!" MJ screamed as Executioner brought his axe down on him.

"Oh boy," Spider-Man muttered as his spider sense went crazy and the world seemed to slow down around him. He leapt backwards as the Executioner's axe swiped through the air where Spider-Man had been standing a moment before, instead digging into the concrete making up the roof and cracking it severely. Spider-Man flipped around and landed on the street below, looking up at Executioner.

"I will crush you!" Executioner bellowed before he leapt into the air with his axe raised. As he fell through the air, the head of his axe began to glow light blue. Spider-Man leapt backwards to avoid the axe strike that split open the asphalt. At the same time, there was a flash of light blue energy before spikes of ice began shooting out of the ground. Spider-Man's eyes widened behind his mask as he backflipped away, the stream of ice spikes chasing him as he went. Spider-Man continued to flip backwards eventually landing on top of Jameson's car as the ice spikes followed him. The car blared as an ice spike shot up through the engine, inches from Spider-Man's face.

"Whoa," Spider-Man whispered to himself. As he did, the Jameson family, along with Diana, came pouring out of the house.

"What in Sam Hill is going on out here?" Jonah demanded, before he noticed Spider-Man sitting on his now ruined car, "What did you do to my car!"

"Don't blame me!" Spider-Man shouted back, "Blame the crazy giant with the huge axe!"

As he said that, Executioner leapt into the air again, raising his axe above his head, the blade now glowing a reddish-orange. Spider-Man back flipped off the car as Executioner brought his axe down on it, causing it to explode in a small fireball. The blast knocked the Jameson family and Diana off their feet and shattered the windows of their home.

"My car!" Jameson shouted as he got back to his feet, before he turned and looked at his home, "My house!"

Jonah turned back to the flaming wreck that was his car, just as the hulking form of the Executioner rose out of the fire.

"Hey, you big idiot!" he bellowed, catching Executioner's attention, "What the hell do you think you're doing! That was my goddamn car!"

"You dare to speak to me like that?" Executioner growled, stomping out of the inferno towards Jonah, "Do you know who I am!"

Jonah growled before taking a step towards Executioner, glaring up at him. Diana took a step forward to stop him, but she was stopped when John stepped in front of her and grabbed Jonah's shoulder.

"Dad, wait!" John called, trying in vain to stop his father, "Maybe you shouldn't go picking fights with giants!"

"I don't give a damn who you are!" Jonah shouted back, ignoring his son's pleas, "I'm J. Jonah Jameson and I'm not afraid of roid-raging pinhead like you!"

Executioner roared in rage as he lifted his axe above his head to slice Jonah in half. As he did, Spider-Man leapt over his head from behind him, firing webbing into Executioner's face. Spider-Man flipped around and landed as Executioner stumbled backwards, dropping his axe as he tried to pull the webbing off his face.

"Hey, pal!" Spider-Man shouted at Jonah, "Why don't you leave this to the professionals?"

"Why you little…" Jonah growled at Spider-Man but his next insult died in his throat as Diana grabbed his shoulder.

"Sir, I think we need to get somewhere safe," she said with a serious look on her face before she glanced over her shoulder at Marla and Mattie, who were looking at him with scared expressions.

"Right," Jonah replied after a moment, "Let's get somewhere safe."

Diana nodded as she turned to go with the others as Jonah grabbed both Mattie and Marla's hands and dragged them away.

"Come on, John!" Jonah shouted over his shoulder.

"Right behind you, Dad!" John shouted back, before he reached out and grabbed Diana's hand, "Come on, Diana. We have to get somewhere safe!"

"Um…right!" Diana agreed, trying not to break her cover. Glancing over her shoulder as she ran with John, she saw Spider-Man looking at her, giving her a thumbs up. She nodded in return, before turning and running with the Jamesons.

Just as the Jamesons were safe, Spider-Man turned to face Executioner, who had finally managed to get the webbing off his face.

"I'LL RIP YOU APART!" Executioner bellowed.

"This…is not going to be fun," Spider-Man whispered to himself as he crouched down in a fighting stance.

Meanwhile, Thor and the Enchantress stood on top of the building, watching the fighting down below. Mary Jane and Jimmy were taking cover a few yards away.

"Amora, stop this madness," Thor demanded, turning to look at her.

"It is not my place," Enchantress replied, "Your mortal whelp has offended Skurge and I see no reason that he should not get the justice he deserves."

"Justice?" Thor replied, shocked, "This is insanity. You and Skurge will leave at once!"

"Not until I got what I came for," Enchantress replied, giving Thor a coy smile.

"What you came for?" Thor asked, confused.

"You, my love," Enchantress said as her smile grew.

Before Thor could react, Enchantress disappeared in a cloud of yellowish green smoke. As Thor looked around in surprise, Enchantress appeared behind him in another cloud of smoke.

"Thor! Look out behind you!" MJ screamed, pointing at Enchantress. Thor turned around as Enchantress reached up and grabbed the sides of his head before pulling him into a kiss. Thor's eyes shot open in shock, before they took on a dazed, glassy look to them. Enchantress slowly pulled away, smiling as she did so.

"How do you feel, my love?" she asked.

"Alive, as I am with you, my beloved," Thor said in a dazed voice.

"That can't be good," Jimmy whispered to MJ, who nodded fearfully.

"You say the sweetest things, my love," Enchantress cooed, before turning her green eyes to the two teenagers as her expression turned sinister, "What do you say you show these mortals the true power of a god."

Thor slowly turned to face Jimmy and MJ, his eyes glowing with power as sparks began to shoot off the head of his hammer and his hair was tussled by the air stirring around him.

"Oh my god," MJ whispered as her eyes widened in fear.

"Move!" Jimmy shouted, before he dove to the side and tackled MJ to the ground, just as Thor lifted his hammer and fired a lightning bolt at the two of them, causing part of the roof to explode where it was struck. MJ and Jimmy screamed in fear as debris rained down around them. Down on the ground, Spider-Man looked up as the sound of the explosion caught his attention.

"MJ!" he shouted in fear "Jimmy!"

As he did, Executioner charged at him with axe raised, causing his spider sense to go haywire. Backflipping away as Executioner slammed his axe against the ground, he watched as the pavement crumbled and cracked below. He landed a few feet away, glancing up at the now smoking roof before looking back at Executioner.

"That all you got!" Spider-Man taunted, causing Executioner to seethe in rage.

"Brave words from a coward who doesn't dare stand and fight me!" Executioner bellowed back.

"That's the way you want it, huh?" Spider-Man said mostly to himself, "Fine! Let's do it!"

Rushing at Executioner, Spider-Man leapt into the air. He flipped around and landed hard on the broken asphalt in front of Executioner. He landed on a single piece of asphalt, causing it to seesaw upward, striking Executioner on the chin, knocking his head backwards and causing him to stumble back. As he did, Spider-Man ran up the upturned piece of asphalt and vaulted off of it. Flipping through the air, Spider-Man landed feet first on Executioner's upturned face. Connecting weblines to each of Executioner's shoulders, Spider-Man began to repeatedly pound his feet against Executioner's face before leaping off. As Executioner stumbled backwards, Spider-Man flipped back onto the upturned piece of asphalt, still holding onto the weblines. Landing on the lower portion of the chunk of asphalt, he yanked on the weblines, pulling Executioner forward and slamming his face against the asphalt. Running back up the chunk, he flipped back over Executioner and landed behind him, before he pulled down on the weblines, spinning Executioner around and slamming him into the ground.

"Had enough!" Spider-Man demanded, before he turned and fired a webline at the building, yanking himself up, "Because I have! Toodles!"

Landing on the roof, he looked around. Smoke billowed out of the hole that now took up most of the roof, making it hard for Spider-Man to see anyone.

"Jimmy!" he called out, "Mary Jane!"

"Peter!" he heard MJ call out from the other side of the smoke cloud. Running towards it, he leapt into the cloud and landed on the other side, finding MJ and Jimmy, a little dirty and bruised, but ultimately alright.

"Are you two okay?" Spider-Man asked.

"No!" Jimmy shouted, "Peter, that Enchantress lady, she…"

As he spoke, Spider-Man's spider sense went nuts, prompting him to quickly rush forward, grab Jimmy and MJ and leap away, just as a lightning bolt struck where he had been standing. The resulting explosion caused the roof of the convenience store to cave in as the shockwave knocked the three teenagers through the air and causing Spider-Man to lose his grip on the other two. Acting quickly, he spun around in the air, snagging Jimmy and Mary Jane with weblines and pulling them back to him, before flipping around and landing on his feet on the street below as the various other families living on the street fled their homes, seeking safety. Looking back as he set the two of them down, he saw Thor float down to the ground, Enchantress following him as his hammer crackled with electricity.

"Thor, what the hell are you doing!" Spider-Man demanded.

"That's what we were trying to tell you, Peter," MJ spoke up, "She's controlling him!"

"Controlling him?" Spider-Man asked, before he got a better look at the dazed look in Thor's eyes, "This night just keeps getting worse and worse."

"It seems you're outnumbered and overpowered, mortal," Enchantress sneered at Spider-Man as Executioner walked over to her side, glaring at Spider-Man as he wiped away the blood coming from his cut lip.

"What do we do, Peter?" Jimmy asked, fear clear on his face.

"The only thing we can do," Peter said determinedly, before grabbing Jimmy and MJ around the waist and leaping away, "Run!"

"Kill them!" Enchantress bellowed as she shot a mystical blast at Spider-Man, Thor following suit with a lightning bolt from his hammer. Spider-Man barely managed to dodge the attacks, which blew off chunks of the house next to the Jameson's. The shockwave of the blast sent the three teenagers flying through the air. Spider-Man managed to fire a blast of webbing, which expanded between two trees in the Jameson's backyard, forming a web which caught Jimmy and MJ as they fell. Spider-Man, meanwhile, was propelled into the Jameson household, knocking a large hole in the wall.

Meanwhile, down the street, the Jameson family and Diana were seeking shelter with the other families who lived on the street. Seeing the explosion, the Jameson's let out a collective gasp as Diana clenched her hands into fists in worry and agitation.

"What's that Thor guy doing!" John asked, "I thought he was one of the heroes."

"He is," Diana insisted, "Something is wrong. I…I should be going."

"Nonsense Diana," Marla said, "The police will be here soon. It will be safer if we stick together."

Diana grimaced as she tried to think of another way she could slip away to change into Wonder Woman.

"Do you think Spider-Man is okay?" Mattie asked, a worried look on her face, "That looked like a pretty big explosion."

"I'm sure he's fine, sweetie," Marla comforted her, though she seemed to not truly believe her own words.

"What does it matter?" Jonah asked, "He's in cahoots with the others, isn't he? Everyone knows he pals around with that Thor guy and look what he's doing! Criminals, the whole lot of them!"

"Mr. Jameson, how can you say that!" Diana demanded, "He saved your life."

"Easy, he's a menace," Jonah replied, "he and his friends. Everyone says they're heroes but look at all the damage they cause. Look at my home! All for what? Looks to me like they're just fighting amongst themselves now."

"He saved your life, Uncle Jonah!" Mattie shouted, turning and pointing an accusing finger at Jonah, "He saved all our lives! And now you call him a criminal! When he might be hurt because he was trying to save other people!"

Jonah didn't say anything as he looked at the angry young girl.

"Mattie, sweetie, please calm down," Marla pleaded, a worried look in her eyes.

"No!" Mattie replied, "I know what Uncle Jonah says about Spider-Man, but he's a hero. I was there the day he fought Electro! He saved so many people and if you won't lift a finger to help him, well then I will!"

Before anyone could stop her, Mattie whirled around and took off towards the house, leaving stunned looks on everyone's faces.

"Mattie no!" Marla yelled, panic in her eyes "Please, someone stop her!"

Before anyone else could react, Diana had kicked off her shoes and was racing after the girl.

"Diana, wait!" John shouted as he ran after her as well.

The girl was quicker than Diana had expected, racing ahead of her and darting into the house before Diana could catch up. Following her, she heard the telltale sounds of battle, just as Diana caught up to the girl in the front hall.

"Mattie, what are you doing!" she demanded, grabbing the girl's shoulder.

"We have to help Spider-Man! He's in trouble!" Mattie explained. As she said that, there was a loud explosion before a whole was blown through the ceiling and Spider-Man came falling through, landing hard on his back. Spider-Man groaned in pain as Diana and Mattie rushed over to him.

"Spider-Man, are you okay!" Mattie asked as she looked down at him.

Spider-Man groaned in pain before he snapped to attention.

"Look out!" he shouted before pushing himself off the ground and tackling the two girls to the side as Executioner dropped through the hole in the ceiling, smashing onto the space where Spider-Man had been laying. Turning, he grinned savagely at the three in front of him.

"There you are, little bug," Executioner said with a grin, "Find more mortals for me to play with?"

"Leave them out of this," Spider-Man snarled as he stepped in front of Diana and Mattie.

"Or what?" Executioner snarled. As he spoke, John entered the hall from behind him. Looking down, he saw a board that had fallen to the ground from the ceiling. Picking it up, he quickly swung it, smashing it against the back of Executioner's head. The board shattered, but Executioner didn't even flinch. Growling in annoyance, he slowly turned to glare at John, who looked back at him fearfully.

"You shouldn't have done that, mortal," Executioner growled as he raised his axe above his. Before he could bring it down, Spider-Man fired two weblines at the axe and pulled back on it, causing Executioner to stumble backwards. As Executioner turned to face Spider-Man, he ran at the large man, before doing a forward handspring and driving his feet into Executioner's face. Bouncing off as Executioner stumbled backwards, Spider-Man flipped back to his feet, before firing a webline at Executioner's axe. Yanking on it, he managed to pull it from the giant man's grasp. Running over to it, Spider-Man grabbed the axe with two hands before Executioner could recover. Spinning around, he swung the axe at Executioner, gouging out a piece of the wall next to him as he swung the massive weapon, and hit Executioner with the broadside of the axe. The force of the blow sent Executioner flying backwards, smashing through the wall and rolling out into the street.

"You like that!" Spider-Man taunted as he tried to catch his breath.

"You are tenacious, I will give you that, mortal," Enchantress called from above Spider-Man, looking down at him from the second floor, "Put I tire of this game. Farewell."

"Spider-Man, look out!" Diana shouted as Enchantress shot a green, mystical blast at him. Spider-Man managed to cross his arms in front of his chest, the blast impacting him right where they crossed. The blast knocked him off his feet, sending him flying through the hole that Executioner had made a moment before. He rolled across the street, before coming to a stop on his back. He groaned in pain as steam rose from his wrists, his costume had been torn, revealing the Amazonian bracers underneath.

Enchantress chuckled as she floated down from the second floor. Landing gracefully, she turned to look at Diana, Mattie and John with an evil smirk on her face.

"Hello, Diana," she greeted.

"Amora," Diana spat.

"You know her?" Mattie asked in confusion.

"You didn't think that pathetic disguise would really fool anyone who knew you, did you?" Enchantress mocked, "I'll admit, the transformation is very good, but it's brought down by the fact that it looks just like you."

"I'll take that into consideration," Diana replied, her hands tightening into fists.

"Diana, what's going on?" John asked.

"You can't beat me, Amora," Diana stated simply, "We've been down this road before."

"You think that, don't you, little princess?" Enchantress taunted, "The thing is, I know your weakness."

"What's that?" Diana asked cautiously.

"This," Enchantress replied simply, before she pointed her hand at the ceiling above Mattie and fired a mystic blast at it. Mattie screamed as the debris rained down on her. Just before it hit her though, Diana ran up to her and shoved her out of the way. Mattie was sent tumbling across the ground as the debris fell on Diana.

"Diana!" Mattie shouted as she looked at the pile of debris that now covered Diana. As she did, Enchantress let out an evil laugh.

"She should have known better then to transform into a weak mortal as some sort of pathetic attempt at a disguise," Enchantress chided as she placed her hand in front of her mouth as she laughed.

She stopped though as she saw the debris begin to shift, before Diana stood up, holding a large piece of the ceiling above her head.

"I think you have your magic confused, Amora," Diana said with a smirk as Enchantress looked at her in shock, "There's no transformation involved here. It's all illusion."

Before Enchantress could react, Diana leapt forward while bringing the piece of ceiling down in front of her, slamming it into Enchantress. The ceiling piece broke apart in a shower of plaster and wood, sending Enchantress tumbling into the street as well. Diana came to a stop at the edge of the hole, looking out into the street. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw John and Mattie staring at her, mouths agape.

"Well, I guess there's no hiding it anymore," Diana said with a sigh, before a determined look crossed her face as she turned back towards the street. Planting one foot, she began to spin in one place, her speed increase until she was nothing but a blur of motion. When she came to a stop, the illusion was gone, revealing her at her true height and build, dressed in her Wonder Woman armor.

"Oh my god," Mattie whispered in awe, "Uncle Jonah's secretary is Wonder Woman."

"Whatever sick game you're playing, Amora, it's over," Wonder Woman stated as she stepped onto the street, Spider-Man hopping over to her side, rubbing his arm in pain.

"Actually, Diana, I believe it has only just begun," Enchantress chuckled as she got back to her feet, Executioner helping her as she did, "You see, I think you're forgetting one of the players in our game, as you call it."

Wonder Woman's eyes widened in realization as a boom of thunder sounded overhead, quickly followed by the sound of something heavy landing directly behind her. Whirling around, she found Thor standing behind her, an impassive look on her face.

"Thor wait!" Wonder Woman gasped as she tried to hold her hands out in front of her.

"Kill her!" Enchantress demanded.

Without a moment's hesitation, Thor swung his hammer around and struck Wonder Woman in the stomach, thunder cracking as the blow knocked her off her feet and sent her flying through the air, causing her to slam into the ruins of the convenience store across the street, the debris imploding around her, sending a large cloud of dust into the air. Spider-Man looked at what had happened in shock, before turning slowly back to Thor, who was staring at him.

"Oh God," he whispered to himself, before Thor's hand shot out at lightning speed, striking Spider-Man in the chest with a backhand. The blow sent Spider-Man flying, causing him to slam into the side of a house, putting a large dent in the wall, before bouncing off and crashing through a tree, sending splinters flying and slamming onto the street, the pavement cracking underneath him as a tree branch broke free and crashed to the ground as well. Spider-Man cried out in pain, clutching his chest as he rolled around on the ground in agony.

Thor looked at Spider-Man lying on the ground impassively for a few moments, as Executioner's laughter bellowed behind him. As he did, a look of confusion flashed across his face as he took a step towards Spider-Man. As he did, Enchantress floated up in front of him, intercepting him.

"Where are you going, my love?" she asked with a sickly sweet voice.

"I…I was…" Thor tried to say, his expression confused as he held his head in his hand.

"You were about to destroy that wench, Diana for me," Enchantress said, reaching up and pulling him into a kiss. As she pulled away, the glazed look returned to Thor's face.

"Of course, my love," Thor said dreamily, before turning to the pile of rubble that once was a convenience store. As he did, the rubble shifted as Wonder Woman managed to pull herself out from under it. Coughing, she pushed herself to her hands and knees before raising her head. Looking up, she saw Thor staring at her from across the street, Enchantress standing next to him, her finger tracing pattern's on his chest. Wonder Woman saw electricity crackling from the head of his hammer and the glazed look in his eyes and began to despair.

"Thor," she pleaded as she tried to push herself to her feet, "Please…"

"Finish her," Enchantress whispered to him, smiling evil at Wonder Woman.

Pulling his arm back, Thor hurled his hammer forward, the weapon whistling through the air as electricity crackled around it. Wonder Woman could only watch helplessly as the hammer flew at her. A second before it hit her, a sonic boom rocked the street, before a figure appeared in front of Wonder Woman and snatched the hammer out of the air. Wonder Woman blinked in surprise, before looking up, seeing Superman standing in front of her, his cape fluttering just inches from her face, Thor's hammer crackling in his hand.

"I-Impossible!" Enchantress cried aghast.

"To be honest, I wasn't sure I could catch it either," Superman replied, holding up the hammer and examining it, "Bit of a confidence boost to know you're worth of Thor's hammer, you know?"

"Who are you!" Enchantress demanded, taking a step towards him.

"I'm Superman and I'm the one who's going to put an end to this," Superman said, glaring at Enchantress, "So, you have two options."

"Oh?" Enchantress asked, insulted, "And what are those, mortal?"

"The first one is you release my friend, and you leave," Superman explained looking down at the hammer in his hand.

"And what if I don't?" she asked glaring at him.

"I make you," he replied, raising his head, revealing his eyes were burning red. Slowly, he raised the hammer and pointed it at Enchantress, electricity crackling from the head.

"Your choice."

A/N: Well, this took longer to get out than I thought it would. School and life slowing me down again, sadly. Hopefully I will get more down quicker in the future. Anyway, this storyline is still going longer then I thought it would, so I decided to leave you with another cliffhanger, because I'm evil like that. It will be resolved next chapter though, don't worry. Hope you guys liked this chapter! Please review! Later, True Believers!


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